Walking Home in the Dark Shouldn’t Be a Radical Act

As women, we are taught from an early age to be on guard. To clutch our keys in our fists when walking home at night. To avoid certain streets. To check the backseat of the car. To dress “appropriately.” To let someone know when we get home safe.

But here’s the truth: this shouldn’t be our responsibility.

The fact that walking alone in the dark feels like an act of defiance says everything about how warped our society’s view of safety is. Why is my existence — my simple choice to go out, to take the long way home, to not shrink — seen as reckless? Why should I live with the constant hum of fear in the background of my daily life?

I’ll admit it: I get recalcitrant about this. If I’m told I “shouldn’t” walk alone at night, I sometimes want to do it precisely because I’m told not to. Not because I’m naive, but because I fundamentally reject the idea that my life should be dictated by potential male violence. I should be able to walk home under the stars without weighing the risks of assault, rape, or worse.

And yet, globally, women are expected to adapt. We are told to stay safe. We are warned not to put ourselves in dangerous situations. The burden is placed squarely on the victim’s shoulders — as though our choices are the problem.

But here’s the shift we need:

• Stop framing women as potential victims who must shrink their lives to survive.

• Start holding men accountable as potential perpetrators who must learn self-control.

This isn’t about paranoia. It’s about power, freedom, and justice. Women should not have to carry the weight of fear in their daily lives. Walking alone at night should be mundane, not radical.

Until the collective mindset changes, I’ll keep being “difficult.” I’ll keep asking uncomfortable questions. And I’ll keep insisting that the world we live in — for me, for my sisters, for our daughters — must be one where women’s safety isn’t negotiable.

A Call to Action