Reclaiming the Night: Now's the time to end the curfew on women and stop an epidemic of violence

Yesterday a clip went viral from the Graham Norton Show, in which actors Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne mocked the idea of using a mobile phone in self-defense during an attack, saying 'Who is actually going to think about that?', only to be silenced by Saoirse Ronan who pointed out that ' That's what girls have to think about all the time'. The clip sparked a whole conversation once again across social media about continued violence against women. It also prompted me to re-visit a thought on the curfew women face.

You see, men like those sat on the panel show have never had to walk somewhere alone and be hyperaware of their (lack of) safety. They've never had to call somebody as they've walked in the dark who, despite maybe being miles away, could still prevent them from becoming a victim of an attack. Women, unfortunately, are not afforded the same privileges as these men. Even more unfortunately, this means we are way less likely to venture outside of the house alone after dark, unless absolutely necessary. In fact it was found by the Office for National Statistics that 82% of women in the UK feel unsafe in public spaces after dark. Thus, for our safety and peace of mind, we often opt to stay inside. 

I first properly noticed the curfew on women last winter, when I was driving home at night and realised that every pedestrian I saw on the street was a man. Whether they were heading into shops or takeaways, waiting at bus stops or just going for an evening stroll, there was not a woman in sight. This is the sad reality that we face; the night just does not belong to us. We stay inside to protect ourselves because all we ever hear about is violence against women at the hands of men. The past few years it really feels like that's all I've seen in the news; women being killed by ex-partners, strangers or police officers, who supposedly are there to protect us. And as we head into another winter where it's dark by 5pm, I emphasise what a scary time of year this can be as a woman. If we don't stop this epidemic of violence, reclaim the night and end the curfew on women now, whilst the conversation is bubbling to life again, will we ever see a time where women can afford to feel safe in public?

The UK's Reclaim the Night movement started in Leeds in 1977, after the police instructed women to avoid public spaces at night because of the Yorkshire Ripper murders. The response from women all over the country was to march for their freedom. Why were women to be locked up at night when men were the ones committing crimes after dark? That was nearly 50 years ago and whilst our anger has not gone away, neither has our curfew - only now it's more subtly enforced. Nobody is telling us to avoid going out at night, but the risks of doing so still keep us in.

We are however seeing the resurgence of Reclaim the Night as we head into winter 2024, with Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, leading the movement once again in the North. Last Sunday, a Reclaim the Night march, organised by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, came to Greenhead Park in Huddersfield. The march was accompanied by speakers and poets from the region as well as stalls with support services available. 

It was only fitting that a day later, the Graham Norton Show clip emerged. 

I'm glad that this one moment on TV has sparked a wave of conversations about violence against women and highlighted the constant awareness we must constantly have for our safety. I'm glad that the men on that panel show, and those laughing along at home, have had to publicly check their male privilege. I'm also glad that those we vote for, like Tracy Brabin, are now starting to prioritise women's safety on the political stage. But it can't stop there.

UN Women UK is also leading amazing campaigns for women's safety and pushing for Safe Spaces in which women can simply exist without the fear of danger.  Their #StopSupportReport campaign is attempting to put the responsibility onto everyone, including men, to keep women safe in public. Where 95% of women don't report sexual harassment, the campaign put it to onlookers who witness somebody in an uncomfortable situation to speak up and offer support. If women must be hyper-aware of danger, others should be forced to recognise it too. 

But we can't let conversations and campaigns like these fizzle out. We need to force the world to WANT safety for women, because right now it doesn't exactly feel like the priority. There is an epidemic of violence against women that needs to be eradicated. 

For myself and those that come after me, I want a world to exist in which women don't need to be hyper-aware of the endless possibilities of danger, no matter the time of day or year. 

In fact, no, what I really want is a world in which women have the privilege to sit on a panel show and say 'Who's actually going to be thinking about that?' when talking about how to avoid being attacked.

Maybe...eventually... we'll see that day come.