13/03/2021
Lads, memes and cartoons aside we need to take responsibility on this. As easy as it is to get lost in the moment and look cool in front of the boys, the way we speak or approach women can have a lasting effect on them.
As men and boys, we need to take responsibility and change our behaviour to make sure women and girls feel safe to walk THEIR streets. So, next time you and your mates see a girl and start shouting remarks, honking the horn or walking over as a group to her....just stop and think about what you are doing. Think about the impact and how that might make her feel. You see a girl you like. She sees a stranger who could harm her.
But, itโs not just the type of behaviour above that we need to check. Itโs the subtle actions we donโt even realise that might actually frighten someone. Going for a run in the evening and rushing past a lone female, sitting close to her in an empty train carriage, walking behind her as you try to get to your car in the car park or just staring.
In the last few days, women have taken to social media to tell us how those actions make them feel. Letโs listen to them and take on board what has been said. They change their footwear so they can run if they need to. They hold their keys in their hand as protection. They look behind their shoulder and check the backseat before they get in their car. They share their locations with loved ones. They fake telephone calls. They cannot walk the streets without fear of what a man might do. How can we hold our heads up high knowing this is their world on their walk home at night?!
Hold your boys in line and bring your sons up to be Singhs and respect all the Kaurs amongst us! It is not only our own mothers and sisters we should respect, itโs all women. They too are someoneโs mum, someoneโs sister and someoneโs daughter.