In the wake of Sarah Everard’s disappearance and death, thousands of women across the country have shared their experiences on social media and raising their voice call for more to be done to protect women in the UK.
Virtually all young women in the UK have been subjected to sexual harassment, according to a survey from UN Women UK, which warns that most women have lost faith that the abuse will be dealt with.
Among women aged 18-24, 97% said they had been sexually harassed, while 80% of women of all ages said they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces.
A YouGov survey showed that women had a lack of faith in the UK authorities’ desire and ability to deal with sexual harassment – 96% of respondents did not report incidents, with 45% saying it would not change anything. Among those who said the event was not serious enough to report were women who had been groped.
This week Londra Gazete spoke to young woman from the Turkish Speaking Community looking at how they feel when it comes to their safety living in London.
Özel Özkoylu :
“As I young women living in London I would say no I do not feel safe. I find myself avoiding public transport after its dark and always feel safer driving myself. This is mainly due to male attitude towards women often women are objectified and we are made to feel like we are at risk of being abused both physically and mentally. I have seen women being abused both verbally and physically and I always feel like that women could of been me. Due to this male culture I find myself always being on guard. The recent news about Sarah Edevard has made me realise that I should be on Guard and women are still being attacked by men even if its rare in London.”
Helin Binboğa :
“I was raised as a girl to always modify my behaviour to avoid male attention however, it had come to the point where I felt like I had to alter my appearance especially if I was out at night.
96% of women don’t report incidents of sexual harassment due to authorities not acting on behalf of the matter. This is a shocking figure and very disturbing since women are constantly being targeted by men, who have the intentions of raping, harassing, and violating their human rights. However, this problem is becoming more normalised for girls as young as 12, who take the bus to school by themselves. Growing up in North London I and many other women I know were victims of sexual harassment. I was only 16 at the time. Whilst, on the bus making my way back home from an evening shift a man in his early 30s who was clearly drunk decided to sit across me and started off by making sexual comments which, then escalated to physical actions. I was on public transport surrounded by many others, yet no one said a word. Which till this day has emotionally scarred me.
Men who are infused in their own insecurities need to be taught how to treat women as it’s no longer just an issue of safety, but an issue of freedom in public areas.
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Yasemin Nafi :
“As a young woman, feeling safe has always been a mission. Simply because I don’t now what’s out there so I don’t know what to expect and when to expect it. I hear things that happen to other women and it allows me to be much more aware of my surroundings when need be. When do not feel safe all over the world. “
“London is a beautiful city with great opportunities for everyone but this doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe. As a young women living in London it can be very difficult at times to travel alone without any distractions, such as people being negatively vocal about what they think of you or a crime scene surrounded by police at least in every area. This city never sleeps so therefore it can be dangerous at times if you’re not accompanied by anyone.”
“As a woman of Turkish descent living in the UK, I am fortunate to have the ability to compare my rights as a woman in both countries. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation for women is bleak; although both are a far cry from perfect, my rights in the UK are enshrined in law in comparison to Turkey who have made the dangerous decision to abolish the convention, protecting the fundamental rights of women. The basic level countries should do to protect women includes toughening sentences and commitment to make every part of the criminal justice system work to better defend them. Yet, these are not preventative measures, but a safety net. Despite this, as women we still walk a little faster or carry our keys between our fingers as a protective weapon. Instead of normalising women changing their behaviour, men should be educated to respect and defend gender equality. When will we ever receive equality as women if the only time cultural change is created is when another women makes national news.”
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“As a young woman living in London, I realized that London is not safe for women. Even walking down a street may makes us feel anxious, women are always an victim of violence and harassment. Certain boroughs are much more dangerous for women, and we must be careful. ’Text me when you get home’ is a standard procedure amongst women and this isn’t fair. It is hard to be a woman, but easy to die a woman.”