I step out my front door for a lunchtime walk on a sunny Monday afternoon. I scan the street for people as I turn my key to lock up. I put just one earbud in — so I can still be alert to my surroundings rather than blissfully lost in the music — and switch on my Spotify playlist. On a busy cross street, a male driver in a passing car honks at me. I make a mental note: a maroon Kia. I take a left going deeper into the neighborhood, and the same Kia creeps by two streets over. Are they following me? Is their intended destination over this way? I look at the houses ahead: which ones have cars in the driveway, which door I would knock on if I needed help …
March is Women’s History Month. A proclamation from the White House (published on whitehouse.gov at the end of February) summarizes:
“During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the courageous women who have helped our Nation build a fairer, more just society. Throughout history, the vision and achievements of powerful women have strengthened our Nation and opened the doors of opportunity wider for all of us. Though their stories too often go untold, all of us stand on the shoulders of these sung and unsung trailblazers — from the women who took a stand as suffragists, abolitionists, and labor leaders to pioneering scientists and engineers, groundbreaking artists, proud public servants, and brave members of our Armed Forces.”
I am truly grateful for the many women before me who suffered injustices and stood up for an equal place in society. To the pioneers whose work went uncelebrated, to the activists who were stifled but steadfast, to those who fought for me, for your mothers, your sisters, daughters, and granddaughters to live the lives we do today. The fight isn’t over though.
Women still fight every day. And not just over the gender pay gap. (Women earn 16 percent less than men on average, according to Forbes’ 2024 statistics.) Or being viewed as less-than in a work environment. (Women are about four times as likely as men to say they have been treated as if they were incompetent because of their gender — 23 percent of women versus 6 percent of men, according to Pew Research Center.) Or gender bias in healthcare. (Duke Health states, “Compared with male patients, women who present with the same condition may not receive the same evidence-based care. In several key areas, such as cardiac care and pain management, women may get different treatment, leading to poorer outcomes.” And Medical News Today reported, “a 2018 study found that doctors often view men with chronic pain as ‘brave’ or ‘stoic,’ but view women with chronic pain as ‘emotional’ or ‘hysterical.’”)
While discrimination against women appears in many forms, direct and subtle, perhaps the saddest — and most constant — inequity is our inability to feel safe going about our daily lives. I ran across the below tip list on social media.
Attention Ladies
• Make sure you fill up your gas tank before sunset.
• Always keep an extra phone charger with you.
• Park in well-lit areas.
• Always look in your backseat.
• After parking, don’t just sit, lock your door as soon as you get in and leave.
• Do not park next to big vans. If you have to, enter your car from your passenger door.
• If a man is sitting in the car next to your parked car, go back inside; have someone walk you out.
• Always use the elevator. No stairways.
• Heads up and phones down. Be aware.
Sure, men may consider some of these precautions. But I can’t even take a walk midday without eyes on the back of my head — on every other person walking, every car that passes. A nighttime store run means peering into parked cars, watching for people following me through aisles or to my car — potential predators at every turn.
Strong women paved the way for a better life for me. But we are still at the mercy of men, at the mercy of those with ill intentions who could overpower us if they choose. While we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s consider how far we’ve yet to go — and move forward with hope that one day we can feel truly safe as we navigate the world. Until then, I walk with one earbud in and eyes everywhere.
