I feel more unsafe than ever
Emma McQueen (GAICD)
Results-focused coach for female business owners ? Double your revenue and get paid what you’re worth ? Director ? Author of Go-getter
Do you feel safe to walk around your neighbourhood in the dark?
I don’t. And I have a feeling it’s not just me.
It’s ridonkulous that in this day and age, a woman doesn’t feel safe to go for a walk on her own!
It’s a very real problem - I wish I had an answer, but I don’t.
So the least I can do is share my personal experience to shed some light on the issue.
At the start of the year, I set a goal to up my steps to 20,000 steps a day. That’s a lot of steps! To make that happen, it meant waking up at 5am.
Do you know how dark it is at 5am?!
It’s dark. And I don’t feel safe.
This growing sense of unsafety isn't just limited to Melbourne; I believe it's a widespread issue affecting women all across Australia.
One afternoon, my friend Mary was in town for a short visit and we decided to take a stroll along the Yarra River. It was around five in the afternoon, and everything was lovely until we witnessed two gangs of teens going really hard at each other.?
I was paralysed with fear.
I wanted to help but fortunately, Mary pulled me away.
It was clear that these kids were high on drugs, and any attempt to intervene would have ended badly, especially considering I’m only five foot two!
Another time when my husband was walking with me, a man nearly hit us with his car when he was pulling into the petrol station.
My husband yelled at him, and even though he was well within his rights to give the driver a piece of his mind, it made me realise that if I was on my own, I’d just be a target. There’s no way I could do anything like that.
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These are just two little examples of why I’m increasingly feeling very uneasy to walk on my own, especially early morning or late evening.?
So, I had to think hard about how I was going to feel safe while on my 5am walks. If you’re feeling unsettled like I am, maybe these ideas will help you too.
After about four weeks of solo early morning walks, my husband, Mark asked to come with me. Seeing how dark it was at 5am, he asked me if I felt safe and of course, I said “No!”
So now he comes with me every day and that makes me feel very safe. He’s an amazing husband.?
But not everyone has a partner to go with them.?
This is a very real problem, and I wish I had a clear solution. I’m increasingly curious about what other women are doing to feel safe.?
If you’re experiencing similar feelings of unease, please know you’re not alone.
At the end of the day, I’m not going to let fear get in the way of me getting out and doing what I need to do. Don’t let fear get in your way either.
LINKS
For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://www.emmamcqueen.com.au/book/
Results-focused coach for female business owners ? Double your revenue and get paid what you’re worth ? Director ? Author of Go-getter
2 个月Mary Butler ???? ???? I keep meaning to tell you that this one was inspired by you!
Buyers Agent, Director & Licensed Estate Agent at Ethical Choice Buyer Agents
2 个月Hey Emma McQueen (GAICD) I don't think most women feel safe to walk around at night. You know what though I have never walked around on my own in the dark, late at night or very early morning and I have taught my girls not to either. Yes we should be able to but unfortunately we can't and we don't want to provide someone with that opportunity. It is about keeping ourselves safe and being smart about where we go and making sure we are with a friend rather than just ever on our own at night.
Principal at Susan Moriarty & Associates
2 个月You're not gaslighting yourself. You're not safe - anywhere. Not alone, not in company, not in your home, your church, your gym, your work, at the shop, on a run - anywhere. The sports journalist, Peter Fitzsimons writes that he was thinking about men's violence against women after Eurydice Dixon was murdered on her way home from a gig and asked his wife, Lisa Wilkinson, when she last felt unsafe. She responded 'an hour ago' . He was gobsmacked. As a man, he had no experience of a underlit car park at being the ideal hunting ground for the opportunistic rapist.
Organisational Development Consultant | Workplace Psychosocial Risk Specialist | Leading organisations through risk identification & management, and understanding (un)reasonable management action.
2 个月I can’t get up early to walk, so I walk after work. Where I am, it’s often dark by 6pm and I don’t feel safe. So I’ve had to reschedule my work day so I can fit exercise in before sunset. That is ridonkulous!
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and CFO Services for Small Businesses
2 个月Although your commitment to staying active is admirable, it depresses me that safety is such a major issue ???? More focus needs to be placed on this conversation ??.