Globally, 80% of women experience at least occasional street harassment in public spaces, such as catcalling, unwanted comments, or intrusive gestures (Cornell IRL School). Furthermore, over HALF of the women in the world’s major cities: London, New York, Mexico City, Tokyo, and Cairo, cited safety as their main worry.
Here in the SafeHER digest, we don’t sugarcoat. It’s clear that women’s lack of safety isn’t a rare problem. It’s a ubiquitous and persistent issue across the globe. Now I know you’re wondering: How did we get here?
While there are many ways to answer this question, “Navigating Public Space, Negotiating Patriarchy: Daily Experiences of Women in a Canadian Urban Context,” by Dr. Debbi Chomiak from the University of New Brunswick, highlights two overarching themes.
- Historical Patriarchy – For centuries, patriarchal systems gave men control and denied women autonomy. Safety wasn’t prioritized because women simply weren’t seen as equal citizens. Any harassment has long been excused as “harmless” or blamed on women. This issue has previously been swept under the rug, and now we are slowly seeing a turn of the tide.
- The Gender-Fear Paradox – Cities were never designed with women in mind. Poor lighting, isolated routes, and unsafe transit make everyday movement risky. This directly corroborates what’s called the gender-fear paradox: women are more aware of their spatial realities + are more fearful of victimization. This heightened awareness stems from the disproportionate rates of harassment, assault, and discrimination women face in public settings, which reinforce a constant need to anticipate and avoid potential threats.
As we reflect on the two themes above, it makes sense now that adolescents and those who identify as women are often fearful of public settings. Our fears are endless. Worried someone might slip something into our drink? Absolutely. Hesitant to wear ‘revealing’ clothes? Of course. Afraid to walk with headphones in at night? Every time. The list goes on. But now that we’ve looked to the past to understand the problem, let’s shift to the present and explore how we can solve it.
Actions You (yes YOU) can take:
- Urban Planning and Infrastructure – Advocate for safer urban design. According to the New York Times, in Aspern, Vienna, all the streets and public spaces are named after women — and guess what? The ENTIRE city reports lower rates of crime against women and actively fosters a sense of empowerment. Vienna uses a practice called “gender mainstreaming” in its urban planning so that public spaces are designed with women’s safety & needs in mind — for example, better lighting, avoiding dangerous blind spots (like overgrown bushes), and making sure key services (shops, public transit, child care) are close and easily walkable. YOU can also contact local officials or join advocacy groups for improved street lighting, safe transit precautions, and increased security in your local areas. As women are lifted, all are lifted, and we can contribute to a more efficient and effective society.
- Tech-Enabled Vigilance – Popular safety tools include the She’s Birdie personal alarm, Sabre pepper spray keychains, KeySmart’s multi-tool keychains with flashlights, and kubotan sticks from brands like ASP, all designed to be carried on the go and activated quickly to deter threats or call for help. Even safety apps (ImSafe, Life 360, and bSafe) can be invaluable in these situations. In a tech-centered world, we can use digital networks to our advantage. You can also use crowd-sourced data or reporting apps to identify danger zones so others can be informed. Apps like Citizen in the U.S., StreetSafe in Canada, and Hollaback! globally allow users to log incidents directly from their phones, generating live maps and safety alerts that others can access through mobile apps or websites to avoid danger zones. Let’s make sure that we collectively battle this problem.
- Community & Institutional Support – The power that comes from speaking out is one that is truly underestimated. You don’t have to be a policymaker or a government worker to make a change. Reach out to NGOs, neighborhood watches, women’s safety patrols, etc, and take action. And if they don’t exist, create them! You can contribute to finding a solution.
Public safety for women is a growing issue, especially as the world continues to urbanize and develop even further. It’s overwhelmingly disappointing that 49.7% of humanity is still largely unaccounted for in our society. At Girl Up, we encourage you to stand against these injustices and stand with others in helping make our world a better place for ALL girls.
Thanks for reading the first volume of the SafeHER Digest! Let’s keep the conversation going. Spread the word. Share the strength. Stay SafeHER. Stay tuned for our next volume, coming soon!
By Saanvi and Jazmine, Girl Up USA Youth Advisors
Work Cited
“California Workplace Protections.” WomensLaw.org, https://www.womenslaw.org/laws/ca/workplace-protections/all. Accessed 14 July 2025.
Chomiak, Debbi. “Navigating Public Space, Negotiating Patriarchy : Daily Experiences of Women in a Canadian Urban Context.” Lib.unb.ca, University of New Brunswick, 2023, unbscholar.lib.unb.ca/items/b90378a9-2efa-4287-964e-02f0edb385ad. Accessed 29 July 2025.
Valeriya Safronova. “Can Urban Design Have a Gender? In This Vienna District, the Answer Is Yes.” The New York Times, 17 July 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/realestate/vienna-aspern-seestadt-gender.html.
