Saoirse Ronan’s comment about women’s safety on The Graham Norton Show has gone viral after she said using a phone as a weapon is something “girls have to think about all the time”. Ronan later said the reaction has been “wild” and that the moment was “opening a conversation”.
Here, six women tell us what they think about the comments and how they feel about women’s safety.
‘I change my commute to avoid unlit paths’
It wasn’t just when [Ronan] said that line, it was that she was trying to say it and the others kept talking over her. She attempted at least twice to say it and they just kept making jokes. The whole context of it shows how much women’s lived experiences and attempts at sharing these are overlooked. People are more aware than before, but the show showed it’s not necessarily in the forefront of people’s minds. I normally cycle through Southampton common but I change my commute in the winter to avoid unlit bike paths. I also wear clothes where my phone is accessible at all times. Lizzi, 35, pharmacist, Southampton
‘I try and make myself appear bigger or angrier’
Self protection is the uppermost, but routine, concern when out and about on my own. Guys enjoy a different world and I’m so glad Saoirse seized the opportunity to tell it as it is. I feel keys are the best bet [for self-defence], although I’ve used my legs [to run] and have put on a surprisingly loud deep voice in the past. I did a self-defence class in the 80s and we were told to try and make ourselves seem unattractive to predators because they prey on those they think look frightened. That really struck me and sometimes I try and make myself appear bigger or angrier. Sarah, 59, speech and language therapy assistant, London
‘My dad taught me to box and I had soppy but fierce-looking big dogs’
I was about nine when my dad taught me how to box. Our independence as children was very important to him and he used to spar with me. He must’ve realised that as a girl it might be useful too. I’ve never really felt extreme fear but it’s still there. I’ve also had soppy but fierce-looking big dogs. I lived in London for 35 years and I had a doberman-German shepherd cross called Boo, because she was frightened of everything. I would take her for a walk around 11pm and people would cross the road. Janey, 72, retired graphic designer, Norfolk
‘It’s so easy to ignore a danger or threat if you don’t have to experience it yourself’
I’m a trans woman who only came out fully a couple of years ago. My style is everyday, nothing provocative, and I’m always taken for a woman. Walking home from the bus at night for the first time and feeling really unsafe I suddenly realised – this is what women go through the whole time. I’ve always been aware and supportive of women’s issues but even so, it was a horrible, shaming epiphany to realise that I’d seen past this basic fact of women’s lives. It’s so easy to ignore a danger or threat if you don’t have to experience it yourself. Kim, 60, classical musician, Sweden
‘The clip will be shared but will anything change?’
I agree with her, however, sometimes I worry people only have an interest in feminism when it’s delivered in viral, digestible moments. Yes, the clip will be shared and posted about, but will anything change? Probably not. I’m glad I’m a lesbian because my partners are less likely to cause me harm or kill me. It’s taken us decades to get even this far and I feel like we’re getting stuck at best and at worst going backwards. My mum always taught me to carry a can of strong deodorant that I could spray at someone. I have a big, metal water bottle I carry because I know I can swing it at someone. Ruby, 30s, works in education, US
‘Your elbow is one of your best weapons’
While living in South Africa for almost 20 years I attended a self-defence course for women. The facilitator, a former cop from Zimbabwe, said that most women who were raped had reported they had not known what to do, even when their hands were free. Your elbow is one of your best weapons. Who knew? Even 30 years later I remember what was taught. That said, I do sometimes travel with a small awl in my pocket. Aletta, 66, retired application software facilitator, the Netherlands
