Why do we live in a world where half of the population are scared to go out alone in the dark? Okay so we're not all afraid - but we are certainly more vulnerable. I'm not the kind of person who lets a silly thing like that get in the way, but over the last few months of walking my dog in the dark (a combination of hating the daytime and hating the daytime)I have at times been fearful for my safety and that is in spite of having one very loud barking dog accompanying me. Walking down a dark, badly lit street when a group of stereotypically 'chavvy' young men come sauntering past. I have been scared, I have held my breath until they past, I have tried to walk faster - not drawing attention to myself - head down, no eye-contact. I've modified my appearance; baggy trousers, baggy jumper, hair tied in a bun, baggy coat - hood up. Completely unattractive and asexual. But here I am again double guessing myself - questioning whether I should have worn tighter trousers - trousers that wouldn't be so easy to get off or whether I should add another 10 minutes to the walk to avoid a short cut.
Some people would say that as a woman out 'alone' (unaccompanied by a man) at night - I should take the long way round - for my own safety - to do otherwise would be 'asking for trouble'. Obviously it is this kind of thinking which leads to the 'blame the victim/woman' mentality with regards to rape/sexual crime. A close male acquaintance of mine, once asked me incredulously, 'how are women treated any differently to men?' only it wasn't a question...more of a statement. In what way have I been treated differently? In what way am I made to feel inferior? In what way am I made to feel wrong in my own body? Like it is my fault, that I shouldn't be walking my dog at night, that I have no right to walk down the street in the dark.
Thinking about how easy it would be to for me to be hurt or raped or worse. Thinking about the looks, the laughs, the slow walk past - looking and laughing. Yeah, that is just a part of being a woman I guess, eh? Generally speaking I don't worry too much about being raped, but when I am out - I can't help feeling vulnerable and under-protected. Googling mace and pepper spray - trying to work out if I could be prosecuted under current UK law for carrying it (despite its total legality in the US OF A - but then again so are gun). Why should I have to? Now I am not saying that these young men would ever have touched me but it is the fact that I have been made to feel this way in the first place - that makes my head spin. So should we stop avoiding parked vans and taking the long way round? Maybe not - but let's stop accepting this shit. Let's not feel ashamed of our bodies. Let's not blame ourselves. We are not at fault - it's not a crime to walk down a street, equally it's not a crime to walk down an alley with a dog. We are not to blame for the actions of others however much we are led to believe that is our fault - for going out alone in the dark or wearing a short-short skirt and getting drunk - WE ARE NOT AT FAULT. Do not let society tell you otherwise.
~ As always, Raging-Left
