Responsibility

Feeling unsafe or uncomfortable at the station and in public transport, in general, has been normalized, and the fact that most women experience this is a given. The gender gap is very clear here, yet men are often left out of the narrative of responsibility. A simple search on the internet will seemingly generate many pages with ways to guarantee women’s safety. There are enough tips for women on how to stay safe or steps to follow to avoid certain places. A Forbes list provides many tips for women and their travel behavior, but there is no such list for men.Most Dangerous Places for Female Travelers and How to Stay Safe Women are consistently burdened with trying to keep safe, while they more often than not have no control over this. How can men help prevent violence against women? How to explain to people who do not experience this feeling that for us, there is not just a feeling of unsafety at a station, but that men tend to be the direct reason for the violence?

In my own conversations with men on this subject, they often feel hurt or offended when I tell them I fear men in situations in public transport, especially when waiting for a train or bus at a station, as it is impossible to know who is capable of violence. Even with all the tips women regularly receive, it seems impossible to get rid of the idea that in the end, women have full control when they find themselves in dangerous situations. Even in Leiden where many female students live and move around the station regularly, these tips simply cannot guarantee safety, and it is incredibly important for men to listen.