Philobiblon

Just landing in my inbox is the following:

www.safewomen.info is the website side of a recently started women’s community aimed at women’s safety. The website is just one side, Safe Women also has a secure server kept at a separate location, that is not accessible via the internet, for you to send picture messages or texts to so that there are details held of where you are or who you are with.
For example, you take a cab home after working late or on a night out. You take a picture of the registration number of the cab and send it to the Safe Women number. Once in the cab you let the driver know that you are a member of Safe Women and that you have sent the details of the cab to a secure server.

It is easy to say good idea – taking control. Sure if this encourages women to go out when they want to when they otherwise might not through fear, then it could be a good thing.

But is this dealing with the worst risks that women actually face – which is being in a vehicle on the road in the first place, rather than that of assault by a male? Wouldn’t a tyre tread gauge to help judge if the vehicle is roadworthy be more useful?

AND, is it not further promulgating the idea that public space is a dangerous place for women where they have to take precautions – quite elaborate precautions – to look after themselves?

The risk of assault from a stranger is exceedingly low – and higher for men than for women – so why is this not directed at men?