Addressing a Lack of Priority for Women’s Safety: The Rise in Spiking and Harassment

By Milcah Fajardo

To women of all ages and all marginalised genders affected by the recent spiking endemic, I ask you this: how do you simply go about processing the news as normal lately when all the media concludes that your safety is clearly not a priority in society? 

While my question is a rhetorical one, it does stand as an important thing to ask yourself if you are currently struggling to articulate your emotions on the subject. Living as a woman right now is frightening, and all the news surrounding these terrible incidents have certainly been triggering for many. Seeing all these young women, many of them students, reported in the news as victims of spiking, violence, and harassment has done nothing short of convincing me that there’s a target on my back.

There is a nationwide lack of priority for improving women’s safety, and women like Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard are just two victims of this negligence. Many of us had similar thoughts when we heard about these women’s stories on the news. Thoughts like, she just was walking home; she did everything she was supposed to do, and it still wasn’t enough; they keep finding new ways to hurt us; when will it stop?

I’d say my process of digesting tragic news is an unconventional one but certainly not unheard of. Usually, I take a little longer than normal to understand the severity of the matter. I believe the reason for this is that I’m faced with confronting the sad reality that I am living in a world in which there is a lack of value assigned to the lives of people like me.

The last time I felt like this was during the rise in Asian hate crimes. I’m an advocate for social activism and spreading awareness for a subject like this is something I would normally do as a British-Filipina. But for a while, I struggled to bring myself to do so because it didn’t fully register that the people being targeted in these attacks were from my community. 

When all the news surrounding the spiking’s were taking place, I was horrified and disappointed. But for a while, I read article after article and saw all these infographics on what to do in case you get spiked and it still hadn’t registered that all this precautionary information was meant for someone like me. 

So many of us, at some point in our life, have accepted the possibility of getting spiked, harassed or kidnapped. Women set off on their journeys every day knowing that there’s a chance that they might not reach their destination. Women have gotten ready for a night out with their friends, fully aware of all the risks that come with going out.

The last time that I got harassed was about a month ago. I was on my way to the train station late at night. I did everything I was supposed to do: I walked the busiest route to the station where there were a lot of people; I spoke to someone on the phone because I was alone. Still, it did nothing to ward off the man who had begun to follow me. When I began to panic, I walked up to random strangers, terrified, and asked for help. We walked together as a group, trying to ignore him, and he still didn’t go away. I often think about what would’ve happened if I didn’t have those kind strangers there to help me that day.

How many of us have taken precautions and shared our locations with our friends before setting out? Rang someone while walking alone? Made sure that we have someone with us on a night out? Never left a drink unattended? Since the recent rise in spiking, there are now new precautions that we have been told to take. Have your drinks at the bar or use protective covers provided to avoid getting spiked. If you do suspect you’ve been spiked, make sure that you notify someone immediately, and if you’ve been spiked by injection make sure to gently clean the wound, squeeze it to draw blood until it stops, and then to go to A&E as soon as possible. And for any of you concerned about being stopped by a lone officer like Sarah Everard, the Metropolitan Police and Boris Johnson have recently advised you to flag down a bus. 

This is what it’s come to. Our list of precautions seem to grow with each incident of women becoming victims of male violence, but the sad reality is the list won’t stop growing until the nation decides to make an impactful change. While we certainly have a long road ahead of us, actions have begun to be taken to get the nation’s attention on the matter.

The Girls Night In campaign saw women in cities across the country boycotting nightclubs to demand bars, nightclubs and the government to take action against the rise in spiking. Strut Safe, an Edinburgh-based organisation, run a national hotline for anyone to call if they ever find themselves alone on their journey or simply need a friendly voice to talk to. Naked Grapefruit, a London-based organisation, began the petition to fund free drink-spiking test kits for all bars.

These female-led organisations are making such a massive difference in communities, but impactful change can only happen once society understands that it isn’t solely women’s responsibility to protect themselves from predators. Women have been compromising their lifestyles and habits for far too long. The responsibility to keep ourselves safe when out in public shouldn’t start and stop with us. 

If you’re currently feeling overwhelmed by all the news on women’s safety, just know that it’s the appropriate reaction. You’re already doing everything you can on your side to keep safe. You’ve already spread awareness, boycotted nightclubs, protested – and more. 

Now it’s up to the rest of society and the government to bridge the gap and to take action to see the change in effect. It’s time for women’s safety to become a priority.