The Death of Sarah Everard: It’s Time to Hold Men Responsible for Sexual Harassment

On March 3rd, 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard went missing after leaving a friend’s home in London around 9 pm. Everard disappeared during a walk that should have taken 50 minutes. A week later, her body was found in a secluded area 50 miles away from where she was last seen on surveillance footage. On March 9, 49-year-old Wayne Couzens, a Metropolitan Police officer, was arrested on suspicions of involvement and charged with her kidnapping and murder. It was soon revealed that just three days before he dumped her body in the woods, he had been charged with indecent exposure at a fast food restaurant. As more and more details were revealed, public outcry swelled. 

While Everard’s death was an unmistakable tragedy, it was the context in which she was abducted and killed that has many especially outraged. The night of her murder, she took special efforts to dress in bright-colored clothing, specifically sought out well-lit streets, and even spoke on the phone with her boyfriend while making the trip home. Unfortunately, these extra precautions are a checklist many women have internalized. As Rothna Begum, a senior women’s rights researcher with Human Rights Watch, explained, “the reason why the killing of Sarah Everard’s has shocked us all—it could have been any one of us.” While public kidnappings are rare, many women can attest to feeling unsafe while walking down the street. In fact, according to data released by the UN Women United Kingdom, over 70% of women in the UK have experienced some form of sexual harassment in public spaces. Other figures suggest that only 3% of women between the ages of 18 and 24 have never been sexually harassed. 

In light of the statistic, women globally shared their own stories of protecting themselves on the streets with #ReclaimTheseStreets and #TextMeWhenYouGetHome. In order to avoid the unwanted, terrifying, and often dangerous behavior of men, many women make sure to consider whether the way they dress will attract undesired aggression. Others wear comfortable shoes to make quicker getaways or speak extra loud on the phone when they sense a car slowing down. Some attach mini-maces to their keychains or perfect the act of wedging the metal knobs between their knuckles, creating makeshift weapons. These viral stories on social media highlight the same core frustration: why is the responsibility for preventing harassment and assault on women, not men? Women have always been taught how to stay safe, but no matter what precautions they take, they aren’t the ones making the decisions to become aggressors and commit crimes. In fact, a 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey reveals that 90% of perpetrators of sexual violence against women are men. The reality is that Sarah Everard had done everything in her power to make it home safely that night, yet none of these efforts stopped a police officer from abducting and murdering her. 

Calls for men to take responsibility have led to a counter-protest on social media: the return of #notallmen. Since the 2010s, “but not all men are like that” has been used to derail conversations about women feeling unsafe or feminists voicing concerns about toxic masculinity. It is true, not all men are responsible for the cars that slow down and catcall female joggers, and not all men follow women down the street in the evening. However, if 97% of women have experienced sexual harassment, discimination, and/or harm, it is enough men. Sarah Everard’s death is a reminder that women shouldn’t be responsible for preventing harassment: men need to be held accountable.