There has been much written since the horrific abduction and murder of Sarah Everard in the mainstream media and on social media.
I guess like most men, I have always thought of myself as being "good" but do we really understand the anxiety and fear of many women when they go about their normal daily lives as we do?
It is not acceptable that the vast majority of men, me included, are unaware of the issues or, if we are, we don't even think too much about them.
I have been wildlife watching for well over 50 years and I have always largely taken for granted my safety and security when out in the natural world.
However, what I have noticed but not really thought too much about is why the wildlife watching community is largely dominated by (white) men other than women in the company of men (husbands, partners, trusted friends, etc.). I rarely see single women alone in the countryside or even on nature reserves.
I therefore read with great interest an extremely thoughtful and insightful article written by Lucy McRobert for the BirdGuides website.
There is much for us men to understand and to positively respond to here, both generally in society but also in the pursuit of our interest in wildlife watching.
It is simply not sufficient to say that I am not sexist or misogynistic or that I do not harass or assault women or worse. It is not sufficient to say that I am a "good man". We all need to be more self-aware. We all have to be actively anti-harassment and indeed anti-intolerance generally whether that is in terms of gender, race, religion or anything else.
I am aware of Lucy through her work with the Wildlife Trusts and her regular articles in Birdwatch and Bird Watching magazines which I subscribe to.
Like so many people I’ve been deeply disturbed by #saraheverard’s story, followed this week by so many harrowing tales from other women. I’ve written for @BirdwatchExtra @BirdGuides on how we can all make women safer in wild places https://t.co/1cLgH9xhly
— Lucy McRobert (@LucyMcRobert1) March 12, 2021
Lucy's article has been further reinforced by what the RSPB have had to say .... see here.
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