Framlinghamian 2023 - Flipbook - Page 73
GLOBAL CITIZEN
Just over two years ago, Sarah Everard
unsteadily towards the exit in utter shock
was murdered as she walked home: the
at what has happened to him.
details are well-known and horrifying.
Sabina Nessa was murdered as she
Why am I telling you this? On the one
walked across a park in September 2021
hand it shows how vulnerable a woman
and Zara Aleena was murdered as she
is given that she can’t even feel safe
walked home after a night out in June
in a gym but on the other hand, I am
2022.
heartened because it is a story with a
happy David and Goliath ending, where
With International Women’s Day 2023
the good guy wins and the bad guy gets
upon us, I have been thinking about these
the comeuppance he deserves…unlike
women and have been asking myself
the stories of those who weren’t as lucky
what kind of world we are living in where
as Nashali Alma. When asked about the
a woman cannot walk home on her own
incident, she said “I was con昀椀dent I had
without the risk and the fear of being
the strength and mentality to 昀椀ght back…
attacked. These women were someone’s
I would tell every woman always to keep
daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s
昀椀ghting, never give up.” But the truth is, no
best friend. They were living their lives,
woman should ever have to 昀椀ght back in
doing good, building relationships, striving
that way. The situation should not happen
and aspiring and then, on the random,
in the 昀椀rst place.
opportunistic whim of a murderer, that life
was simply gone, snu昀昀ed out. I 昀椀nd it hard
I know that these occurrences are not the
to get my head around this.
norm and I also know that more men are
murdered than women in the UK. But what
But then, I watched an extraordinary
I am talking about here is women who
video on YouTube. It showed a woman,
are targets because they are women and
Nashali Alma, working out in the gym in
because they are less likely to be able to
her apartment building. A guy came to
昀椀ght o昀昀 their aggressor in the way that
the door of the gym whom she recognised
Nashali Alma did. This is an area where
and assumed was there to work out too.
gender equality is, quite simply, non-
Instead, moments after she let him in, he
existent.
attacked her, intent on raping her. All of
this is caught on CCTV. So when Nashali
The International Women’s Day
昀椀ghts back and refuses to be beaten down
organisation is asking us whether we
by this guy, I found myself both despairing
can imagine a gender equal world.
but also cheering. She turns the tables and
A world free of bias, stereotypes and
beats him up instead and escapes from
discrimination. A world that’s diverse,
the gym. The last sight of him caught on
equitable and inclusive. A world where
the CCTV is of him weaving and wobbling
di昀昀erence is valued and celebrated. And
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