communities and organisations, and the UN, is working to make urban environments safer for women and girls. In the United States, New York City recently signed an agreement to promote women’s safety. Every city is unique and requires a local response. This initiative has the benefit of linking multiple cities together and highlights a diverse array of preventive solutions, which is pivotal for finding best practices. Anchorage could be a leader on addressing gender violence nationally, internationally, and in northern regions. Joining successful programs like the Safe Cities Global Initiative would a promising start for Alaskan women.
Personal experience can create powerful incentives for social change. Sometimes only a woman’s experience can rectify a policy mistake. Men and women experience fear and violence differently, and men like myself can never truly know the fear a woman walking alone in Anchorage feels. Margaret Atwood once asked a group of men why they feared women, and they replied “we’re afraid they might laugh at us.” She then asked a group of women why they feared men, and the women replied “we’re afraid they might kill us.” --
Men and women experience fear and violence differently, and men like myself can never truly know the fear a woman walking alone in Anchorage feels.
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by Eric VanOss
Arctic Urbanophile
Our citywide trail system should be a major draw for young professionals, yet I know many women who would never be caught alone on it for fear of attack or assault.