Women have been sharing their own methods on how to ask for help when they are in danger and one particular video has resurfaced after the tragic death of Sarah Everard...
And it has re-sparked an entire debate on women's rights.
Because the issue surrounding women's safety from men has been debated for many years now but the most recent debate has been sparked again after a woman in the United Kingdom was brutally abducted and murdered.
It's always the same narrative and outcome that millions of women all around the world face every single day...
And the scary thing is that its been normalized by so many different cultures.
Did you know that in the United Kingdom, ninety-seven percent of young women have been sexually harassed by men at some point in their lives?
A survey released by UN Women UK has found that this percentage of females aged between eighteen and twenty-four have suffered sexual harassment, as women report losing faith in the ability of authorities to effectively deal with the abuse that they receive.
This is not okay...
Even after all these years if I am out late at night on an isolated street & I hear a man’s footsteps behind me I automatically cross the road. It is the habit of a lifetime to try & keep safe. But it should not have to be like this #SarahEverard
— Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) March 11, 2021
And although the awareness surrounding domestic abuse and sexual harassment is now more prominent than ever, way too many women find themselves as victims of these horrendous crimes every single day.
The story of Sarah Everard is a tragic example of this.
Stop telling women to stay at home.
— Faye Dawson (@FayeDawsonPR) March 10, 2021
Tell men to stay at home.
Women are not the problem.#SarahEverard ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mWdEaKdRCA
Sarah, who is from London, went missing on March 3rd after walking home at night from a friend's house and just a week later human remains were found in Kent and it has since been confirmed they do, in fact, belong to Sarah.
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been arrested and charged on suspicion of her kidnap and murder...
And, quite predictably, people have been reeling over the fact that a member of the police force may be involved with this horrific crime - especially due to the fact that the officer is believed to have had no connection with Sarah in the past.
It has also been reported that the forty-six-year-old had previously exposed himself to a woman in a public area 3 days prior to Sarah's murder.
More details are set to be released as the investigation continues.
It just goes to show how you really can't trust anyone...
Even those that are sworn in to protect the public.
However, while raising awareness on the issue, women have run into several problems.
And yes, most of them include men who are standing against them in their fight for equality.
The hashtag #NotAllMen has been trending ever since the murder came to light.
“not all men” are men dense ? all wasps don't sting but i’m still scared of all wasps because there's no way i could know which ones do. now apply this to men. it’s really not that difficult to understand :/
— vi ⍨ zzzz offline (@cupidctrl) March 14, 2021
If you're a man and you still don't understand why this is one of the most problematic statements you could utter to women, especially during such a difficult time, let me explain it to you in the most simple way I can.
Women understand that it's "not all men".
The stats say so, but how do you spot which man is an abuser and which is not? In a line-up of men, who are the biggest perpetrators for these kinds of crimes, could you pick out the ones that have committed heinous acts against other women? Nope, you can't and that's exactly why it's hard to differentiate between them so women stay wary of the vast majority in order to protect themselves from the possibility.
"But it happens to men too..." Yes, we know. But yet again, the statistics show that men commit more acts of violence against other men.
So it just begs the question: Why are you not helping women get to the root of this problem if there's a possibility of it happening to you too? Is it too hard to criticize one's own gender? Internalized misogyny is one of society's worst traits and it really shows during these types of discussions.
But we all have to stay focused and thankfully now, a lot of us are.
People are using their platforms to speak out against this type of violence, with a lot of them even having to resort to ulterior scenarios to explain it to the men that still don't understand.
And while they're doing that...
Women are sharing tips and tricks about how to stay safe when you're alone, or when you're walking in public or even when someone tries to harass you...
And the results have, yet again, shocked audiences as to just how much women prepare themselves before going out.
In light of what happend to Sarah Everard & the issue surrounding women’s safety, here’s a thread of very simple things that men should do/ stop doing, to make women feel safer + legal products (UK) & apps/tips to improve their safety and protection:
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
Personal Safety Keychain Alarm/Torch https://t.co/Yu7t0J38XE
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
Self Defence Spray https://t.co/D2b7Wd6jOa
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
Cheaper options for the Safety Alarmhttps://t.co/mfQjA0stSV
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
— 𝕏𝕙𝕞𝕝𝕖𝕪² (@Xhmley) March 12, 2021
And now, in light of recent events, one particular video has resurfaced.
YouTube
It's the secret hand signal for people that are in danger.
Keep scrolling for the video.
The gesture was shared by the Canadian Women's Foundation at the start of the pandemic last year to help those in lockdown forced to live in a dangerous environment.
It involves putting the hand up with the palm facing the other person, the thumb is then folded into the palm and the rest of the fingers closed over the top to create a sort of fist.
That way, whoever you're surrounded by won't hear you ask for help directly.
And it'll help save lives.
Here's the full video:
Stay safe out there, guys.
In the meantime, keep scrolling for more news...
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