Sarah Everard Case Reminds Us Just How Dangerous It Is for Women to Walk Home
Since the disappearance of Sarah Everard in early March, social media has become a place for educating others on the dangers of women just walking home and bringing awareness to the 97 percent of British women who are victims of sexual harassment. On March 3, Everard, a 33-year-old British, never made it to her house after attempting to walk home after meeting a friend. A week later, the police discovered her body and charged Wayne Couzens, a Metropolitan Police officer, with Everard’s kidnapping and murder.
WARNING: This article mentions sensitive topics such as sexual assault.
Less than three weeks after Everard’s case, Elizabeth Hunt Brockway, the senior photo editor for The Daily Beast, wrote a personal essay. She shares that even though the incident happened in the United Kingdom, Everard’s case is an “alarmingly familiar tale.”
The personal essay is full of bright, pink graphics and statistics that break down how widespread and prevalent sexual harassment against women is in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Moreover, the article claims that “the cause of death for far too many around the globe can be boiled down to ‘living while a woman.'”
Sixty-five percent of women in the United States are victims of street harassment. While they are young, adults teach women how to walk with their keys positioned carefully between their knuckles to fight off a would-be assaulter.
he was a police officer and she was walking home. #SarahEverard pic.twitter.com/oVCj1b2Mr8
— sarah (@somehowsarah) March 15, 2021
Moreover, the impact of Everard’s murder and testimonials like Brockway’s have highlighted the daily dangers of being a woman to social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
Some users educate others through their voices and some express their fears and imagine a world where women can walk down the street with their keys in a bag or pocket.
Additionally, in her personal essay, Brockway details eight of her experiences of sexual assault while living in New York City –– experiences that left her “frozen with both confusion and fear.”
Brockway considers herself “lucky.” She made it home every time. Everard and countless other women do not.
If you or someone you love is experiencing sexual harassment, you can call RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.
Writer | Tweet me @Emily_N_Wolfe
