In this article, Amelia Rasheed explains the recent death of Sarah and what this means for women everywhere.
Photo Credit: KALW
There are things that we all do on a daily basis, we go grocery shopping, we walk to friends houses, we go to the park, etc., but only about 50% percent of us feel safe, “us” meaning females. The truth is that almost all females are harassed, catcalled, followed, and assaulted when doing a simple task such as walking down the street. Society has normalized these incidents because it happens so often, but what's not normal, and what should not be normalized are kidnappings, rapes, or even death of women caused by males.
33 year old Sarah Everad was walking home from a friends house on March 3rd 2021 when she was declared missing by her boyfriend who she was talking to on her walk home. At first it was not concerning, because it was not a rare sight, so they just hoped that she came home safe and sound, but she never came home. When the news of her death was shared not only shock and sadness was shared among the family and other women, but fear played a huge part. As more and more police investigations occured, women were warned to stay at home or make sure they have someone while walking the streets. Sarah was not only walking during the daytime but also walking through a busy road and her kidnapper was still able to abduct her.
The alleged killer is Wayne Couzens, he is a 48 old male married with two children. His trial is in October with a plea hearing in july. He was also accused of indecent exposure that took place in a fast food restaurant three days before Sarah’s abduction. It is believed that he served in the military and was a member of the Army reserve.
Unfortunately, Sarah was not the only one and will not be for a long time. It has been normalized for women to feel unsafe while walking close to their homes that they have to continuously be cautious of their surroundings. Helena Wadia was one of those women. She says “The first time I was catcalled I think I was about 12 years old. I have been self-policing since then. We moderate everything - our clothing, our drinking. We get taxis where maybe we can't afford it. We hold keys between our fingers. We don't wear headphones when we're jogging. We stick to well-lit areas. It's exhausting.” The truth is that women are tired of being harassed while they are just trying to live their own lives, they are tired of being assaulted by predatory men. Sarah Everad's death pulled the last straw for women who are tired of being scared when they walk down the streets having to be aware of every little thing because of men who make this world a scary place. This world is not meant for women to be treated as prey, it is meant for women to be equal, and for them to be able to go where they want without the chance of being kidnapped.
Sources:
Hawley, Samantha. "What happened to Sarah Everard? The murder that triggered a global outpouring of grief and rage." ABC NEWS, 19 Mar. 2021, www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-20/sarah-everard-death-one-week-on/13261376. Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.
"Sarah Everard: How a woman's death sparked a nation's soul-searching." BBC News, 14 Mar. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/uk-56384600. Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.
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