In a study conducted by the University of Manchester earlier this year, 498 female runners were asked about their personal running experiences. Out of these women, 68% said they had experienced some sort of harassment while running. From catcalling to even being followed, over half of these women were forced to grapple with threats because they were practicing their right to run in public spaces.
What society do we live in to just let this happen? The statistics for women dealing with harassment are available, and yet nobody seems motivated enough to call for societal change and keep women safe.
As a woman, I’m limited in where I run, what time I run, and even what I wear when I run because I’m constantly scared of being attacked and not seeing it coming. Even though I always carry my phone and stay aware of my surroundings by keeping my music low, this won’t be enough if someone is truly intent on hurting me.
In the case of 22-year-old college student Laken Riley, self-defense classes and a phone in hand were not enough. Riley was killed on Feb. 22 while out for a morning run on the University of Georgia campus. Police investigations revealed the college student fought until the last moment, doing everything in her power to stop her attacker and make it home.
In response to this tragic loss of life, many women across the country took to social media and chose to honor Riley’s memory by running seventeen minutes, the total length of her run that was stopped short that tragic morning.
I’m so happy to see this movement of solidarity gain steam across TikTok and Instagram, giving voices to victims, but I want more.
Acknowledging women’s lack of safety in everyday life is undeniably an important step, but I think it’s important to remember that the issue remains unchanged.
I was talking to my dad just last week, and he told me about his plan to go solo running early one morning before work. He gets up at 5:30, putting on a neon vest and headlamp, and has no problem leaving the house in the pitch-black.
I hold no contempt for my dad because he has the opportunity to do this and I don’t, but it’s hard when I see no changes in the status of my safety while out running.
As a woman in this day and age, I cannot be as laid back as my dad when it comes to safety. I have to take charge of my own safety by choosing safe routes and communicating with my family about how long I’ll be gone because I will never have the upper hand when it comes to defending myself from any male attackers.
I truly wish I could worry less and run more, but I’m afraid that isn’t possible when thousands of women fear and face harassment doing something men do without issue.
Every day I wonder where society will draw the line on how much harassment is fine for women to deal with. We say that we want to help women and bring equality in all aspects of life, and yet we disregard them when they report attackers and speak out.
Did you know that women are more encouraged to scream ‘fire’ if they are being attacked because it’s more likely to get an immediate response?
It’s so easy to forget that we are in charge of the society we create and do not have to keep allowing these assaults on women’s safety. The power to create greater repercussions for attackers and provide more resources for victims is ultimately in our hands, why not start now?