I'm a man. How can I make the city safer for women?

I'm a man. What can I do to make women's lives safer?

• Elevator

Ask whether I can ride the elevator with her. Don't try to "joke or lighten the mood" if I can see the woman with me is tense.

• Street, park

Slow down or stop if I see that a woman ahead of me keeps looking back and speeding up.

• Club, bar

If a woman at a club feels unwell or is intoxicated, alert the venue's staff.

I'm a man. What can I do to make women's lives safer?

• Approaching someone

Don't pressure a woman if she turns down my attempt to get to know her. Her refusal is her right, not an attempt to humiliate me.

If I see another man harassing a woman or persistently trying to pick her up, I can try walking over and introducing myself as her partner or someone she knows. This has to be done with an assessment of how dangerous the situation is. A safer option is to find the police or security.

• Sex

Follow the rule of active consent. Active consent must be voluntary and informed. None of the participants should be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Partners must understand exactly what they are agreeing to and have the right to say no at any moment. Silence and lack of resistance are not consent.

It's not paranoia, it's experience — and the way unsafety shows up for women every day

We asked women: in which situations or places do they feel unsafe and want to play it safe? Here are their answers:

In the morning it usually takes me 10 minutes to walk to the metro, and in the evening 15. Because instead of the park, I take the lit street nearby.

I try not to take a taxi alone.

I live on the 15th floor and sometimes let a couple of elevators go by, because I don't feel very comfortable riding with others.

I always try not to walk into my building's entrance with men. But if it happens, I deliberately slow down and try to walk behind him, not in front. And of course I hold my keys in my fist.

I'm wary of sitting next to unfamiliar men on the metro; I try to sit next to women or just stand.

Where women may feel unprotected

• Taxis
• Elevators
• Public transport and stops
• Dealing with couriers at their apartment
• Bars, clubs, concerts and festivals
• Unlit streets
• Parks in the evening and at night
• Parking lots, especially underground ones
• When their privacy and boundaries are violated online (unsolicited dick pics, leaks, online stalking)

Next time you find yourself in one of these places or situations with a woman, you can be more attentive to how safe she feels.

Statistics on unsafety

More than 70%* of women worldwide have experienced sexual harassment at least once in their lives.

In 2023, 11,158** cases of rape were registered in Russia.

71%*** of women don't feel safe in the city. For 82.4%, their sense of calm depends on the time of day and year: winter and nighttime are scarier. The main sources of fear are places "with little light and few people."

38%**** of women personally experience online violence, and 85% of respondents witness digital violence against others.

• according to a 2021 UN survey

** all registered cases, per official statistics of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs

*** according to a 2023 survey by the Consortium of Women's Non-Governmental Associations

**** according to a study published in The Economist