The State and its duty to Protect Women at Night

Last week, a friend and I were walking along the Upper Parade in Leamington Spa where we were approached by a woman, clearly in a great deal of distress. She sounded nervous and asked us to walk her down the parade explaining that a man had been following her. Just a few weeks before, I was asked by another friend asked me to escort her home after a night out because, she said, she was terrified to walk home at night, and as we were walking, I saw this unfold, as two men began shouting obscenities down the street.

It’s an absolute travesty that still in today’s age, women don’t feel safe on the streets at night. While nightlife and socialising are integral facets of urban life, the well-being and security of women during these experiences are often compromised. A survey by the ONS found that 26% of women aged 16 to 74 had experienced some form of sexual assault since the age of 16, with a staggering 84% among 16–24-year-olds. This statistic alone highlights the distressing prevalence of such incidents but what is even more distressing is that only 4% of cases of sexual harassment in public places are reported to the authorities. Based on these statistics, it seems clear that there is a problem here.

However, identifying solutions may not be as easy. Firstly, a major problem with modern nightlife is the vast consumption of alcohol, leaving women extremely vulnerable when intoxicated.

So much stricter licensing and regulatory policies for venues that serve alcohol can help to alleviate the problem. In Sweden is they’ve introduced regulatory measures stipulating the presence of security personnel and staff compliance with responsible alcohol service, which led to a 15% decrease in alcohol-related sexual harassment incidents in licensed venues. These regulations could be pivotal in preventing overconsumption and fostering a secure environment for women.

Women also need access to greater secure transportation, particularly after dark. In the Netherlands, the expansion of subsidised public transportation services during late hours was associated with a 20% increase in the use of these services by women, contributing to a decrease in harassment incidents. The provision of safe, secure and readily available late-night transport can prevent trauma and violence from reaching women who are just trying to get back to the comfort of their own homes.

However, the most important policy of all must be education, and the utmost education for men. The problem often starts at a young age with a lack of adequate sexual education, fostering misguided views and entitlement. Cultural change and education work hand in hand. What is required is a culture in which consent and respect are the default. There has been some success in creating widespread cultural impacts. The appearance of the ‘Tea and Consent’ video by the Thames Valley Police in 2015, has since been viewed by almost 8 million people, often being used as a simple and effective illustration of consent. The vast majority of students across the UK will likely have seen or know of the video and the clear message it delivers. It is this kind of cultural change that is needed with education, where consent is clearly understood by all, and remains at the forefront of our actions.

Young men also need to be taught that a woman being intoxicated or even showing small signs of trust are nowhere near signs of consent. Young men should be taught that consent must be enthusiastic, clear, and ongoing. Education can must also foster empathy and respect for others, including their feelings and boundaries. Young men can learn to recognise and understand the emotional impact of such actions on potential victims.

This need for education has been recognised in UK media as of recently with films such as How to Have Sex (2023) engaging people to have serious discussions about sexual assault, male violence and peer pressure. The film highlights how sexual assault against women is often brushed aside and how men who are known in social circles as being prone to misconduct are allowed to evade criticism as they’re simply ‘good mates’. The film also emphasises the peer pressure to say nothing about sexual assault and how blatantly society puts this responsibility on survivors. This just further emphasises how important education is in recognising what is right and wrong. It is paramount for men to hold other men to account for their actions.

A study conducted by O’Higgins in the UK evaluated the impact of consent education workshops in schools. The research found a significant increase in students' understanding of consent and a decrease in reported incidents of non-consensual behaviours at those schools. We know that education about consent correlates with a decline in sexual violence. Therefore, while policies such as licensing and regulatory policies and transport can put a plaster on the problem, education would attack this epidemic at its root and create a safer society for generations of women.

The imperative to protect women on nights out is undeniably a matter of public concern, and government policies play a pivotal role in shaping the safety of nightlife environments. Creating legislation that allows for tightening of regulation and licensing for alcohol-serving venues and the provision of secure and readily available late-night transport can help to create a safer environment for women at night by protecting them from any potential menaces that they may face. But the most paramount concern for any government should be educating current and future generations on consent to create a society that doesn’t repeat these patterns of violence.