**Women shouldn't need protection in the first place, but men should use their privilege and offer help anyway.** - Unfortunately, we live in a world where women do not feel safe. As of March this year the world health organization has found that violence against women is a 'major public health problem' and that [1 in 3 women worldwide have ‘been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime’] (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women) Action Aid found that huge numbers of women face street harassment and violence worldwide, including [75 percent of women in London.](https://stopstreetharassment.org/resources/statistics/statistics-academic-studies/) - These are appalling findings. Violence against women has deeper roots that need to be addressed, but men should be aware that there are more immediate things they can and should do to protect women. - Men can protect women from harassment. Not staying silent while a male friend harasses a woman is a way to protect women. Offering to help a woman (a friend, not a stranger) get home is also a way for men to use male privilege to protect women. - However, men protecting women shouldn’t be accepted as the natural order. Just because women are typically less physically strong does not mean they should need protection. We should not romanticize the fact that women need protection by men, from men, but men should use their privilege to help when they can.

Borderline off topic, but back when I worked in campus security, we had a strict policy, if a student didn't feel safe and wanted to be escorted to their car, we HAD to do it. It's the only thing you could walk up to us and order us to do basically lol. And personally, I was happy to do so. I mostly walked women to their cars at night in the especially larger, sketchier lots. But I had a big tough dude who looked like he could kill me with one hand ask to be escorted too. Safety in numbers I suppose lol. (Not to mention security can call for help unbelievably fast. ) Er, anyway, so this is a common thing. Depending on where you work or go to school, there might be some help you can get that you just don't know about if you don't feel safe traveling back to your car alone. Try asking security. Or the front desk. It was very strict. And if we lied about this policy's existence to students, we would be fired. The policy was there, primarily, to protect women. But small men, handicapped people, or really anyone at all could take advantage of it.

**I’m a feminist and a huge advocate for the rights of women, but I’m also not naive to the uncomfortable truths of how women are treated in today’s society.** • The reason I ultimately think men should protect women, is because unfortunately the _law_ doesn’t. It shouldn’t be necessary for men to protect women, nor should women not be able to protect themselves, but that isn’t a realistic understanding of the world as it currently exists. I think it’s ok to want equality for men and women, whilst also appreciating that it will require effort from _both_ sexes. • The recent [murder of Sarah Everard]( https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/sarah-everard-missing-met-police-b1814958.html) in the UK is evident enough of the fact that society is anything _but_ a safe place for women, and began an important discussion in this country, about why women are still so far from feeling protected. This case was particularly awful and disturbing as her murderer was a police officer. She was out walking at night, and although she was wearing bright, reflective clothing and made sure to stick to well-lit streets (as we're advised to), she was murdered. Her death provoked many people to reconsider why women remain so vulnerable in society, particularly at night, despite doing _everything_ we’re told to keep ourselves safe. • I _wish_ women didn’t need protecting, but to make a change, men must be part of the conversation and accept the fact that [they are privileged]( https://www.safeatschool.ca/plm/equity-and-inclusion/understanding-sexism-racism-and-homophobia/sexism-and-violence/power-and-privilege). They don’t need to be walked home to get there safe, they don’t have to consider what they wear on a night out at fear of being held responsible if something happened, they don’t have to be suspicious about meeting someone you haven’t met before on a first date. It’s the harsh reality for women, which is why men must step up to protect us when we can’t protect ourselves. • I guess the main reason I think men should protect women, is because the opposite would suggest that men _shouldn’t_ protect women, and that seems very extreme and unrealistic considering the privilege they hold in society.