Following a viral Instagram post by fitness trainer Lucy Mountain, women worldwide have taken to social media to share the ways in which they have been conditioned to stay safe when walking home alone. Mountain shared a photo of a WhatsApp message reading “Text me when you get home xxx.” The image quickly became viral, with women resonating with Mountain’s thought that asking a friend to share their location or to walk with keys between their fingers doesn’t even feel “like special safety tools” because “they’re literally just engrained behaviours and actions we’ve had to pick up since we were little girls. Because ’that’s just the way it is.”⠀
Her post was inspired by the tragic murder of a British woman named Sarah Everard. Everard was walking home from her friend’s house in south London before she went missing on March 3. An announcement by the commissioner of Metropolitan Police later noted that a police officer had been arrested on suspicion of her kidnap and murder on March 10. The incident prompted activists and others globally to note the increasing incidents of violence women face, in addition to the issue that those who are meant to protect us can also inflict this violence.
“Text me when you get home xxx’ is a standard procedure amongst women. Auto-pilot,” Mountain wrote. “A woman should have been allowed to walk home,” she added. The comments on the post were heartbreaking, with women sharing how this fear has impacted the ways in which they do everyday tasks. It prompted women to also share their experiences on Twitter using the hastags #textmewhenyougethome and #ReclaimTheStreets to emphasize the need to address gender-based violence.
It’s not all men, but every woman has a similar story or has a story from a friend, family member, or acquittance. According to a report released by UN Women, 97% of women between the ages of 18-24 have been sexually harassed in the U.K., 96% of whom did not report incidents. In the U.S., a report following the #MeToo movement found that more than 77% of women had experienced verbal sexual harassment while at least 51% had been sexually touched without their permission. Additionally, about 41% said they had been sexually harassed online, and 27% shared that had survived sexual assault.
Sarah Everard was just trying to walk home. Her story sheds light on the fear women around the world live in daily. It reminds us that we must make our society safer for everyone. Gender-based violence will only end when people acknowledge the statistics and take action. Yes, it's not all men, but women should not have to be told to walk with a male friend to feel safe. Sexual assaults are not just committed by strangers: Two out of three sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. Additionally, 38% of rapists are considered a friend or acquaintance by the victim.
Violence against women is a widespread phenomenon and a human rights violation. Walking with a man beside you is not the solution. We must find ways to make society safer for everyone regardless of race, gender, identity, or sexual orientation. “Text me when you get home” should not be a habitual phrase you say out of fear for the safety of your friends and loved ones.