Are men still blind to women’s safety? Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan has provoked an online storm with her comments on self-protection. Some think men need to take note.
Star burns the chat show circuit down
Are men still blind to women's safety? Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan has provoked an online storm with her comments on self-protection. Some think men need to take note.
It was a big night on The Graham Norton Show.
Eddie Redmayne talked about learning how to use a mobile phone as a weapon. Paul Mescal chimed in: "Who is actually going to think about that?"
Then Saoirse Ronan, who had been trying to be heard over the laughter, got a word in, saying: "That's what girls have to think about all the time." The men fell silent. Ronan continued, "Am I right ladies?" The audience erupted into applause.
Hundreds of women have voiced their agreement. One Twitter user remarked: "Men have the luxury of joking about situations that women would be threatened and horrified in."
The clip tells a gripping story. Four men engage in jokey banter. A woman struggles to be heard. The men's fooling around shows how men ignore women.
Campaign group End Violence Against Women says: "Being followed, harassed and assaulted are almost universally shared experiences of being a woman and girl."
Are men still blind to women's safety?
Yes! In England and Wales, over two million women a year are estimated to be victims of male violence.
No! There are plenty of men who are aware of the dangers against women. And crime against women has declined in some countries, including the USA.