Making Solo Running Safer for Women: Can Men help!
Men find it simple, putting on their running shoes and stepping out to run solo anytime or place. Recently, during a holiday abroad, I realised this restrictive feeling of the lack of safety, which set me thinking. This freedom which we take for granted, is not as easy to come by for women in our own cities and towns.
I once asked a few women who run, what they would want us men to do to make their running experience better, and bang came the response…”If only the men would just leave us alone”!
Most women who run are strong, not just physically but mentally as well. They can focus on their runs better if they don’t have to waste that precious energy on keeping a look out for wierdos on the prowl.
While male company would obviously make it safer, but what about the freedom to run solo! Can we men do something about it!
With all the safety precautions and drills that a woman learns, as part of her growing up in dealing with men around her, also help when she runs alone fending off the undesirables.
While overall improvement in women safety in the community would help in a big way, a larger acceptance of seeing women out there, out and running would also make it better. More number of men running, walking or doing any such fitness routine, on the roads, would make the space safer by sheer outnumbering these creeps.
Running groups which have a fair share of female runners can have areas developed with better lighting to help them run solo when they wish to. Such groups do have an effect of making the locality they run in, runner-friendly and safety follows as a result.
Getting the local cops and other security agencies in their running circle makes a big difference too. A local cop running will definitely make a harasser think twice before doing anything.
Even a minor act of "teasing" or inoccuous sounding catcalls should not be ignored but the culprits shown the way. This would help not "normalising" such an act for future.
No way appearing patronizing, a male runner on his run, can always accompany a lady for a short distance before parting ways, just to let her know that it’s all fine, while she continues enjoyjng her solo run, feeling safe.
Such small steps will help build a safe and healthy running community, where all that a woman running down the road will have to encounter is a lot of cheers and looks of awe and admiration.
Till that utopian moment arrives, let’s work towards making it better in whatever way we can.
I once asked a few women who run, what they would want us men to do to make their running experience better, and bang came the response…”If only the men would just leave us alone”!
Most women who run are strong, not just physically but mentally as well. They can focus on their runs better if they don’t have to waste that precious energy on keeping a look out for wierdos on the prowl.
While male company would obviously make it safer, but what about the freedom to run solo! Can we men do something about it!
With all the safety precautions and drills that a woman learns, as part of her growing up in dealing with men around her, also help when she runs alone fending off the undesirables.
While overall improvement in women safety in the community would help in a big way, a larger acceptance of seeing women out there, out and running would also make it better. More number of men running, walking or doing any such fitness routine, on the roads, would make the space safer by sheer outnumbering these creeps.
Running groups which have a fair share of female runners can have areas developed with better lighting to help them run solo when they wish to. Such groups do have an effect of making the locality they run in, runner-friendly and safety follows as a result.
Getting the local cops and other security agencies in their running circle makes a big difference too. A local cop running will definitely make a harasser think twice before doing anything.
Even a minor act of "teasing" or inoccuous sounding catcalls should not be ignored but the culprits shown the way. This would help not "normalising" such an act for future.
No way appearing patronizing, a male runner on his run, can always accompany a lady for a short distance before parting ways, just to let her know that it’s all fine, while she continues enjoyjng her solo run, feeling safe.
Such small steps will help build a safe and healthy running community, where all that a woman running down the road will have to encounter is a lot of cheers and looks of awe and admiration.
Till that utopian moment arrives, let’s work towards making it better in whatever way we can.
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