If you're in the UK, you'll likely have heard of the recent disappearance of a woman named Sarah Everard.
Everard, 33, went missing on March 3 after walking home to Brixton, south London from her friend's home in Clapham.
A week after she vanished, London police confirmed that a police officer in the capital had been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder before human remains were discovered in a woodland in Kent, south of London.
Of course, the distressing news has alarmed people up and down the country, and has prompted a discussion on how unsafe a number of women feel on the streets at night.
The stats pertaining to women and sexual assault are alarming. In fact, according to a recent YouGov poll, 97% of women aged 18-24 said they had been sexually harassed, while 80% of women of all ages said they, too, had experienced sexual harassment.
Many women have since taken to Twitter to share their fear and the action they believe men should consider taking to help women feel safer at night.
Taking to the discussion, a man named Stuart Edwards, who said he lives minutes away from where Sarah Everard vanished, asked what he could do to help.
He wrote: "I live less than five minutes from where Sarah Everard went missing. Everyone is on high alert.
"Aside from giving as much space as possible on quieter streets and keeping face visible, is there anything else men can reasonably do to reduce the anxiety/spook factor?"
Since it was posted on Tuesday, the tweet has been inundated with thousands of retweets and responses.
Here are some of them:
1. Make noise so as not to suddenly frighten a woman if you're behind her"It sounds silly but being 'noisy'. If you’re behind someone so they can’t see you but can audibly tell where you are is helpful. It also helps convey that you’re not trying to sneak up on someone. Maybe phone a friend and chat."
2. If a female friend asks you to accompany her, do it"Thank you for this tweet, a lot of us needed to see this today. I would add that if a female friend asks for you to accompany them on what you would normally consider a safe journey, never judge them or tell them they’re being dramatic. Trust me, we wish we could go alone!"
3. Cross the street to make a woman feel less threatened"If you're walking behind a woman, even at a distance, and it's dark, cross over to the other side of the road and walk there instead. I've had men do this a couple of times and it's like a huge weight lifted."
4. Avoid walking closely behind a woman"What a lovely kind tweet. Thanks. Basically never ever walk closely behind a woman. Cross the street to avoid this if necessary. I was attacked from behind once and even tho it was decades ago I still get freaked out if anyone walks too closely behind me. Thank you."
5. Don't enter narrow spaces if a woman is already in them"Don't enter an alley way, underpass, narrow pathway if a woman is already in it. Wait at your end until she has passed through safely. That realisation that a man is blocking your path is scary."
6. Intervene if a woman finds herself in a potentially dangerous interaction with someone"It is worse during lockdown. Offer female friends to take evening walks so darkness doesn’t feel like a prison.
"If walking down the street actively intervene if something looks odd or someone looks scared, even just shouting “Hey Jane is that you?” might diffuse something."
7. Move out of her way to allow her to walk where she feels safe"If a woman is walking towards you, let her stay in her path and get out of her way rather than making her move. I consciously walk in the safest part of the path with access to light/exits and so many times a man has forced me to walk between him and a wall."
8. If you're on a bike, let her know you're there"Yes, a simple call out 'runner/bike on your right/left' is courteous."
9. Speed up and overtake her."Speed up and overtake her. Making noise if possible "hi, sorry I'm just passing you" sort of comment. If I'm being [followed] I slow down to let people overtake. Or cross the road."
10. Tell your friends what you've learned"Thanks for asking. If you're walking behind a woman, you're going to reduce the fear factor a lot if you cross the road. And also, tell your mates all the stuff you can read in this thread."
Men, these may seem like little things, and you may not think they even need to apply to you. But now is the time to stand with women and ensure that everybody feels safe on our streets.
If you have any information which could assist police in their investigation of Sarah's disappearance, contact the Incident Room on 0208 785 8244 or visit the Major Incident Portal.
