If You’re a Woman, Turning Back the Clocks Can Sucks

I was walking home from work the other day and suddenly I realized that a lot of women and other marginalized genders – will be familiar. There was a lone man in a hoodie behind me. He was probably going home and minding his own business, like me. But still my breathing quickened. I started doing the usual mental calculations: where was the closest person, which lights were on in which windows, did I have my phone, etc. I sped up and darted around the corner to my door across the street, as if this was Grand Theft Auto rather than an ordinary autumn evening at 6:30 p.m.

There are lots of fun things about turning back the clocks in the UK. The extra hour in bed, the comfort of the darkness, the way it feels like there’s some sort of “party” energy in the air as you head home. Christmas. Night in general has always fascinated me; My favorite thing is when you take a taxi to the airport at the odd hour of the night and spy all the foxes and nocturnal characters outside. How ice fogs the window. The color of the sky changes from black to a sort of velvety navy blue and then to a pastel baby blue. But as a woman, you cannot fully and thoroughly enjoy the night without having to take into account various dangers. And when the clocks go back, the “night” part of the day becomes much, much longer.

It’s not just me being paranoid and – Saoirse Ronan I recently stated this; I’m definitely not the only one who feels this way. according to Office for National StatisticsOne in two women in the UK (compared with one in seven men) feel unsafe walking alone on a quiet street near their home after dark. Four in five women (compared with two in five men) do not feel safe walking alone in a park or open space after dark. Moreover, this paranoia is not unfounded. Accordingly same studyThree in five women aged 16 to 34 had experienced at least one form of harassment in the previous year; 44 percent of these women were subjected to catcalls or unwanted sexual comments. 29 percent of these women felt like they were being followed. Queer and transgender people experience similar fears. According to UK charity stone wallWhile 29 percent of LGBT individuals avoid certain streets because they do not feel safe, this number rises to 44 percent for transgender individuals.

The solution to this particular conundrum is not to cancel the clocks going back. We can’t ban the night, it doesn’t work that way (I love the night! I want to spend more time in the night!) And I probably shouldn’t move a German Shepherd to my tiny flat in Peckham – which is something I really looked into. We already know this male violence The struggle against women and marginalized genders is an epidemic, and if I found the cure, I would be a very rich (and secure) woman. It shouldn’t be our problem to solve. But there are things men can do to make women feel safer: overtaking or crossing the road when it’s just the two of you, not walking too close, or even chatting loudly on the phone with someone else. Care needs to be taken if a woman is being harassed or stalked. Not disturbing women at night, full stop. These can all be helpful and worth normalizing.

My biggest dream is to be able to go out at around 2 or 3am and have a look around (I’ve done this a few times after a night out, but I’m not sure it’s particularly recommended). I want to be able to sit comfortably in the park when it gets dark or – well – go for a foggy night walk, look at the houses, see the creatures crossing the roads with shining eyes. We’re not there yet. But one day, I hope, we can be too.