How to Create Safer Streets for Women
Despite the west being relatively safe, almost 50% of young women reported street harassment in the past year, and in France a quarter of all women fear walking alone in public spaces, with many having been verbally harassed on the street.
Women feel much safer if everyone else is walking, along well-lit pavements (that also accommodate prams and pushchairs, and ‘prowlers’ are less likely to lurk, as they would be seen).
Quick easy access to public transport is key (no waiting in the dark for an hour for the next bus). Ensuring everything works (like installing modern easy-to-read bus timetables and solar bus stops (that light up when someone is waiting for a bus or reading a timetable.
Vienna Is The Safest City for Women
Vienna is has been named the safest city for women, The Economist also ranked it as the most liveable city. Most areas have open green spaces nearby, all linked to schools, doctors and pharmacies. And there are good public transport links.
Parks include courts for badminton and volleyball, and there are seats for older children who can read and chat, while keeping an eye out for younger siblings in playgrounds. Pavements are wider for prams, pushchairs and wheelchairs.
The Economist recently ranked Vienna as the most women-safe city on earth, thanks to safe green spaces (all well-lit and linked to good public transport). There are seats for girls from ethnic minorities (often expected to care for younger siblings) to watch them in playgrounds, while being able to read/chat themselves.
Pavements are wider for prams, pushchairs and wheelchairs. Download free reports: designing safe cities for women and travelling in a women’s shoes.
She City is a book to show how to make cities safe for women. Town planners have responsibility to redesign cities, towns and villages that deter unwanted attacks and lead people to feel safer walking, especially at night. A book for forward-thinking architects or a birthday book for your town council!
Focusing on walkable communities (also good for supporting indie shops) that avoid having to drive out-of-town to shop (females are still paid less generally in jobs, so less likely to able to afford a car).
Clever Apps to Keep Women Safe
There are now many good apps that allow users to alert others if they feel unsafe, whether producing incoming calls to sending details to where you are to others. Some good ones are:
- HollieGuard shares your location every 5 seconds, and features a personal alarm and evidence catcher. With HollieGuard Extra, if you deactivate that you’re safe, this triggers a response from emergency services.
- WalkSafe can track journeys, share locations and find you ‘safe spaces’.
- bSafe enables emergency response teams to act within seconds. It uses voice command (even if your phone is inaccessible, with live GPS tracking and auto-response communication.
- EPowar offers instant emergency alerts, automatic attack detection, and reliable storing of evidence on the Cloud. You can also store live location with selected friends.
- Safetipin clicks photos every 30 minutes at night, and can send info to report how safe women feel on streets, public transport or at public toilets. Again you can send a tracking request if you feel unsafe, check out nearby safe places to wait for help, and find the safest route out of an area.
Tips to Prevent Stalking and Rape
Knowing what to look for and who to call can make a real difference. Sometimes the first step is simply spotting the warning signs. Warning signs of stalking include people showing up uninvited, repeated calls, text messages or gifts, someone trying to track your movements, or contact your family and friends, and being watched or monitored (even online).
If you feel at risk, share your worries with someone you trust. Rape Crisis or Victim Support, give practical advice. Police also have dedicated officers for these crimes.
If safe to do so, tell the person to stop contact, and keep a record of messages and incidents. Smartphones can share your location or send emergency alerts.
Empowered by Ashley: A Personal Alarm
Empowered by Ashley is England’s most popular personal alarm. One pull of the pin from this reusable silicone device, and attackers are struck by a noise as loud as a jet engine, and a bright flashing LED strobe. Obviously this is not ‘natural’, but can save your life, if you are being attacked.
It’s Time to Learn Some Self-Defence!
Streetwise Defence offers in-person and online self-defence classes for people of all ages and sexes. Ask your workplace, school or community group to organise a workshop for you – or check out the individual online courses.
These are great classes to learn. You don’t turn into Wonder Woman, but you do learn how to protect yourself with confidence.
Of course, the first message is to avoid risky situations in the first place. But you’ll quickly learn how to get out of a stranglehold, or how to escape a grab, so you can make a quick getaway. You can even take a free mini-course to get you started.
These classes were created by a former kick-boxer, who had to leave his career at the Royal Marines, when a drunk driving accident left him injured. After working as a celebrity bodyguard, he decided to put his immense self-defence knowledge into courses to help the general public.
He combined his skills with the experience of co-founder Julie Waite, to create trauma-informed, CPD accredited training to empower people.
Did you know that Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter, was down to her last $25 when she landed the role? Before being an actor, she was a singer, who soon returned to her first love.
