Throughout history, women have redefined the norm and fought against the menace of gender inequality, sexism, patriarchy, and even racism. From Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, Clara Zetkin, and Queen Elizabeth the first – the list is endless. Nowadays, you have the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Angela Merkel, Kamala Harris, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Taraji P. Henson, and many others who have continued the tradition.
Without a doubt, there are hundreds of millions of other women who will carry on this mantle for many generations to come.
So yeah, it’s an absolutely brilliant idea to set out 24 hours out of the countless number of hours we’ve got in a year to celebrate women and their achievements across all sectors of life. Deservedly, on the 8 of March every year, the entire world gives a “standing ovation” in honor of women.
The primary objective of this event is to promote the message of gender equality and acknowledge the invaluable contributions that women render every day to make our planet a better place.
But while we celebrate, we cannot shy away from the negatives too
In 2021, the United Nations, citing data from 13 countries, reported that around 45% of women suffered some form of abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes physical and verbal abuse as well as being deprived of basic amenities.
According to the UN, “an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life (30 percent of women aged 15 and older). This figure does not include sexual harassment.”
These figures are frightening, and clearly, something has to be done to fix them. The goal should be to properly educate women on the best personal safety standards and provide them with self-defense tools and gadgets.
Even as lawmakers and government agencies put severe deterrent and punishment measures in place against offenders
As our little contribution towards this goal, here are some of the best safety tips for women.
8 Safety Tips For Women
1. Be Alert
Constantly scan your environment to look out for potential risks. Maintain absolute focus if you’re walking all by yourself or visiting a terrain you’re not familiar with. If you notice any weird movements, take precautions!
2. Trust Your Guts
If you feel uneasy about anyone or anything, address it immediately. If you’re struggling to convince yourself to go somewhere or do something, you might want to step back and reassess the situation from a different perspective. If you still cannot convince yourself afterward, consider canceling the plan or seek advice from a trusted friend.
3. Stay On Your Toes
According to reports, one in seven women has been stalked by intimate partners. In comparison, close partners have raped one out of ten women. This means virtually everyone is a suspect, including your most trusted friends and partners. So, endeavor to always be on guard.
This is not a license to become hostile. But don’t become too comfortable and lower your guard.
4. Walk With An Entourage
Regardless of the gender type, walking in groups is one of the most effective ways of staying safe. But it’s much more helpful for women because they tend to exchange gifts while looking out for the safety of everyone in the group. The good thing is, female entourages are almost completely free to call up.
If you must go through a narrow, dark, or scary route, ensure that you don’t do it alone.
5. Be Prepared
Alternatively, you could get a personal safety gadget that helps you call for help when you need it.
You should consider the Silent Beacon personal safety device If you’re looking in this direction.
Having featured on established media platforms such as the Washington Post, Forbes, and USA Today, Silent Beacon is trusted by users all across the globe. With a simple click of a button, anyone in distress can send a customized message(s) to emergency responders or loved ones using this device.
6. Don't Be Too Flashy
This is like asking the impossible because, for a fact, women like to look their best, even for casual events. However, this exposes them to a lot of potential risks.
We know it’s hard, but if there’s really nothing special going on, avoid being flamboyant. But if you must dress heavy, follow all the safety tips in this piece and ensure your expensive gadgets are properly kept in a bag.
7. Avoid Posting Sensitive Information On Social Media
Social media has its positives and negatives. It enables information to travel faster. However, it is also one of the biggest information resources for criminals.
Avoid posting content that will reveal your house address and other sensitive information. Filter your posts before uploading them so that it doesn’t contain anything that will aid criminals. Lastly, ensure that your pictures and videos are not geotagged.
8. Communication
Send situation reports to your family and friends as much as you can. If you’re going for a long drive or traveling, ping them your location at frequent intervals. If there’s an event, let them know who is hosting it and where it is happening.
Silent Beacon makes this much easier for you and your family. The panic button connected to the personal safety app will share your real-time GPS location with all emergency contacts with any effort.
Why Is International Women's Day Important?
We have witnessed some significant improvement in how women are treated, especially when compared to what it used to be in the past. Last year, New Zealand approved paid leave for women who miscarried or had a stillbirth (their partners are eligible too).
Just last month, Colombia decriminalized abortion in the first six months of pregnancy. Female genital mutilation was outlawed in Sudan as well.
When it comes to taking up leadership roles, women have been on a roll.
Kamala Harris was sworn in as the US Vice-President in 2021, becoming the first female, the first black, and the first Asian-American to hold the position.
Still, in 2021, Tanzania elected its first-ever female President, Samia Suluhu Hassan.
In another first-time-in-history string of events, Tunisia, Samoa, Sweden, and Estonia all appointed female prime ministers. Furthermore, Xiomara Castro became the first female President in Honduras.
Nonetheless, the world must intensify efforts to protect and provide more opportunities for women.
Final Thoughts
A worrying revelation emerged when the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap 2021 Report was released.
According to this study, the world needs approximately 135.6 years to close the global gender gap between men and women. That’s over a century!
The idea of celebrating women once every year is great; at least, it reminds us of our commitment to tackling gender equality and other societal ills that women are subjected to. However, these issues cannot be solved in a day. Hence we have to take urgent steps that will enable us to maintain this resolve in our everyday life.
