This List Shows All the Things Women Do to Protect Themselves on a Daily Basis — & We’re Exhausted

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In the current political climate, it is understandable that a lot of women are feeling angry and abandon by the justice system. And as a response to recent events, Facebook user Drew McKenna of Oklahoma decided to share a powerful post that demonstrates just how exhausting it is to try to stay safe as a woman on a daily basis.

Drew shared a section from the book The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help by Jackson Katz.

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Katz is a social researcher who has done this specific exercise with groups of people many times. He asks both men and women what they do daily to prevent themselves from being sexually assaulted.

Katz then compares the reaction and responses from the men in the room to the women -- and unsurprisingly, they are drastically different.

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He describes the reaction of the men: “At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they’ve been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, ‘I stay out of prison.’ This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, ‘Nothing. I don’t think about it.'”

And then, when it is the women's turn to answer, they have A LOT more to say.

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“As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine,” he wrote. 

The replies, which are displayed in the viral chart, show the harsh reality that women face every single day.

Responses range from "Hold my keys as a potential weapon" to "Avoid forests or wooded areas, even in the daytime."

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The long list also includes: Look in the back seat of the car before getting in. Carry a cell phone. Don't go jogging at night. Be careful not to drink too much. Don't put my drink down and come back to it; make sure I see it being poured. Own a big dog." 

The list goes on and on — and it is sadly relatable for just about every single woman out there. 

Posts and experiments such as this are great for shedding light on the terrifying reality of being a woman in our current culture, but we have to remember that things won't change until society changes. So we have to keep educating our sons, our partners, and anyone we can that enough is enough.