Men Can Travel to the Moon, Women Can’t Travel Home Alone
It’s the year 2021, and this is how far away we are from reaching equality
It is the year 2021, and we have evolved rapidly over the past century. We fly all across the globe, carry tiny computers in our pockets that can connect us with people thousands of miles away within milliseconds. We are discovering new planets daily and have sent people to the moon. It is an exciting time to be alive.
It almost seems absurd that while we are accelerating technology and solve complex problems on a daily basis, we have yet to crack one of the most fundamental and basic issues in history: Human Rights.
In 1949 the United Nations signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Humans are born equal and have the right to live in freedom and safety. It seems so simple. Yet here we are over half a century later, still fighting, protesting, campaigning in every corner of the world.
It’s not “just Sarah”
Twitter is flaring up at the minute with protests, mainly from men. “Just because one woman got murdered, doesn’t mean the streets are unsafe for all women,” they say.
Some post news articles of female murderers and are indignant that those protesting are either overreacting or have only themselves to blame. Here are some of the responses to my tweet that’s pointing out the danger to women:
Men risk their lives to keep you comfortable and secure every day. Welcome to the real world. You should thank us and stop being demanding
What did you do to deserve that? You sound like a typical modern female who cannot sustain relationships with men
This really isn’t a sane way of thinking, to live your life based on the potential actions of a tiny minority of men. In fact it’s the complete opposite of sane. No wonder so many women feel “unsafe” when they’re being conditioned to act like they live in Saudi Arabia.
These are all comments from men. Men, who probably think that Sarah is an isolated case.
A woman is killed by a man every three days.
That means almost 1 in 3 women has experienced male violence. Not read about it, not seen it in the news. Experienced it. And this statistic is not covering those who have experienced psychological abuse.
This is happening in the UK:
1 in 10 students says they have experienced a sexual crime in the past year.
1 in 5 women has been the victim of stalking since the age of 16
Men remain, on average, larger and stronger than women. If a woman is walking alone through the night and a guy is following her who could easily overpower her by just physical strength, why wouldn’t she be scared?
It’s not “just the streets”
Our parents were most likely aware of these statistics in some way or another. Even if it is “just 30%” of women that experience violence by a male. No mother wants their daughter to fall into that 30%.
We are taught to be cautious. We are taught to do everything we can to protect ourselves.
We are told to travel in groups, never hitch a ride with a stranger and not go home with a man without extensive background checks.
When harassed, women are taught to smile and walk away. When assaulted, women are taught to keep quiet.
Out of 1000 sexual assaults, 995 perpetrators will walk free.
When abused, women are taught to turn to support groups and charity organisations instead of the police.
Because if women are brave enough to come forward, they will learn that it rarely changes anything.
The most recent crime outcomes data show the overall charging rate for rape as 1.5%
It’s not “just safety”
12 men have walked on the moon.
Research shows that 59% of women who ever walk down an alley alone always or often feel unsafe doing so, while 50% feel similarly about walking alone at night.
But it’s not just about personal safety. It’s also about opportunities.
Jobs with a higher percentage of women tend to be lower paid, and if, over time, the proportion of women increases average pay goes down further.
The gender pay gap is real.
Gender pay gap reporting showed 30 per cent of women are in the lowest-paid quartile with 20 per cent in the highest paid, while for men these numbers are reversed.
And even if women, “make it” in male-dominated industries. The environments are often hostile, challenging and discriminating. In terms of the gender pay gap, I am probably one of the few women who has “made it”. Yet, I still have to find a company where I truly feel treated equally.
It’s not just “women”
When we look at individual groups protesting we might jump to the conclusion that these are minorities. But at the end of the day, most people are fighting for the same cause: Basic. Human. Rights.
Whether we are flagging the black lives matter banners, the rainbow LGBTQIA flags or the pink feminism slogans on pennants. It’s always about Equality.
Not more, not less. It’s that simple. We want to live in freedom. We want to live in safety. We want to have equal opportunities. Why is it still so difficult when all these “minority” groups combined actually make a majority?
Keep talking!
To be honest, I am thankful for these comments on Twitter. I don’t respond to them, because I can see where they are coming from: These are exactly the attitudes and beliefs that women are currently campaigning against.
And maybe that is the solution that we need. Maybe this is the way for women to feel safe and escape male violence: Shout about it and listen carefully to how people react.
To every woman who has ever spoken out about violence: Keep talking. Keep sharing your experiences, your fears and your worries. Those that gaslight you or deny the facts really just prove your point.