A Man Murdered Sarah Everard In London

The suspect is a cop which adds to how unsafe women already feel doing everyday things like walking at night, taking taxis etc. But what has also emerged is how victim blaming still plays a massive role in how violence against women is seen by the press, law makers and society itself. What rattled many is how “she was only walking home” because as women we’ve been programmed to believe that if we do everything “right” (walk on lit streets not make eye contact etc) we’ll be ok. But why are we expected to do so much? And how have the perpetrators been completely removed from the conversation? In reality it’s NOT our behaviour that causes violence, it’s predators (usually men #notallmen but also let’s acknowledge that 96% of killers ARE MEN and stop apologising ladies, our outrage is not aimed at ALL men, obviously). We are taught it’s OUR responsibility so that when something happens it’s also our fault, and while people should avoid dangerous situations, the expectations from women have long passed a reasonable level. This is why we can’t be selective with our outrage because ANY violence, against any woman, anywhere, and in any circumstance, is unacceptable and NEVER justified. Sarah’s murder is shocking but not because it could have been any of us cos let’s be honest (and I know this is scary to admit) it can always be any of us. It’s shocking because it happens ALL THE TIME and because despite the fact that 50% of the population don’t feel safe, it’s not a priority and is still labelled as a “women’s issue". So how can we change it? Our whole attitude needs to change. We need to educated boys to respect women, predatory behaviour needs to be called out (including "harmless" guy talk), we need better laws & more women in decision making roles, we need to support women’s charities, language needs to change (instead of "she got raped" say "he raped her") and finally MEN need to step up. I realise this is sexist but it's true. We need more men to prioritise these issues and lead by example because women alone are not being heard 🤦🏼‍♀️ Sending my deepest condolences to Sarah’s family and all the families 💔 #saraheverard #reclaimthestreets #love