Chelsea Gibbs
As I glance at the clock its reads 10:30pm, I sigh in relief as I begin to lock up the shop. As I close the doors behind me I start going through each item on my unofficial checklist; okay I have my phone on speed dial, I pull over my baggy jumper, my shoelaces are secured and tied up and I’ve got my keys at the ready, okay I think I’m all set. Before I make my way through the secluded and dark carpark I check every inch of my surroundings. I grunt in frustration as I realise my car is parked on the furthest side of the carpark. Although there is no one in sight I walk hastily towards my car as if someone was following me, I keep my head down but staying alert to my surroundings. With the car in reach my legs begin to put on a slight jog until I arrive at my car door. I quickly jump in and lock my doors before I take in a deep breath and turn the keys to the ignition. I drive off in relief until I realise I work again tomorrow night…
This is the scary and confronting reality that most women endure day to day.
Why is it more dangerous to be a woman than it is to be a man? And why have I never, in my, questioned why this seems to be an accepted reality?
Logically, there is no reason as to why it is more dangerous to be a woman than it is to be a man. And yet in this modern world we live in, we continue to accept this ugly truth without question. Violence against women is a core component of our backwards culture. It is widely ignored and backwardly embraced by our society. Women who don’t voice their tragedies, are almost universally shamed and blamed for the violence perpetrated against them. And as a society we are uncomfortable with them having a right to their own identity.
Women fear everyday life scenarios more than men and are more likely to experience certain scenarios like sexual assault, abuse and violent attacks.The study from the law firm Farah and Farah revealed the percentage of men and women surveyed who indicated situations they fear — and precautions they took to feel more safe.Among the women surveyed, about 53% greatly fear sexual assault, compared to 24% of men. Half of women greatly feared a physical attack. Only 34% of men expressed the same fear.
As a society we need to acknowledge the confronting and sad reality the women in our society face on a daily basis and need to change the backwards attitudes that form around victim shaming.