Murders of women in public spaces by strangers are not commonplace. And murders in Australia in general are on the decline. Compared to many countries, Australia is a safe place.
Reading the poem Eurydice to her students unleashed surprising emotions for Stephanie Trigg. But literature works in mysterious, unpredictable ways, highlighting the impossibility of trigger warnings.
Men who subscribe to ideological masculinity believe that women’s empowerment has left them victimised and discriminated against. And they play out their resentment through violent acts.
Australia has guidelines for designing safe parks, but the stories of many women show these are not enough. We must involve women in co-designing these shared public spaces.
Advising women to “stay safe” is problematic because it transfers the responsibility for men’s violence onto women, and distracts us from more difficult conversations.