On March 3, Sarah Everard was walking home and later that evening was found dead. Once her body was found, London police sent out a statement warning all women not to go out past dark. The problem with this, however, is that women are not at fault here; men are. So why should women be punished for something we have no control over?
The number 97% has become well known on social media with women coming forward with their trauma. The number comes from surveying 1,000 women in the UK aged 18-22. Ninety-seven percent of those women have been cat called, sent an unsolicited explicit photo, sexually harassed/assaulted, raped, etc.
While Everard did everything she should have to avoid this circumstance (she wore bright clothing, was talking to her boyfriend on the phone while walking home and shared her location), she was still abducted and murdered by a Metropolitan police officer.
Ultimately, she was a victim of femicide, which is the killing of women. Femicide has gained attention over quarantine, just like other movements, from the marches done in Latin America. The women participating in the marches repeat phrases in the Spanish language saying, “and it wasn’t my fault, or where I was, or how I dressed.”
While Everard’s murder has gained traction on social media with many women around the world sharing their stories, men have started invalidating their traumas by saying “not all men.” We do know it’s not all men, but it’s too many men who have sexually assaulted us, our mothers and our sisters. The message we are trying to get across is that obviously it is not all men, but we have to be extremely weary because we don’t know which ones are capable of hurting us. Put it this way: it’s known that not every single snake is venomous, but you wouldn’t want to get bit and find out which ones are, right? No, you wouldn’t. That is why people are cautious of every snake they encounter.
If you are one of the men justifying “not all men,” you are part of the problem. Women are simply asking for support; we are not accusing you. However, all men need to call out their friends for their creepy behavior and the inappropriate jokes and comments they make, whether women are around or not. Men need to do their part in creating a safer environment for all women.