Young women and girls in the UK are spending hundreds of pounds on taxis to avoid harassment at night, new research shows.
Women aged 14-21 are spending an average of £44 a month, or £528 per year, on taxis to avoid the risks associated with public transport or walking, according to a study by Plan International UK.
Of these women, 62% take taxis home at least once a month for their safety, with more than one in six (16%) paying over £900 annually, the children and girls’ rights charity found.
Plan International UK’s CEO Rose Caldwell said: “Our survey highlights the enormous toll that sexual harassment and fear of violence is having on women and girls in the UK, forcing them to sacrifice time and money just to feel safer on their way home.
“We welcome the Government’s ambitious pledge to halve violence against women and girls, but achieving this in the next ten years will require tackling the issue across all parts of society.
“Making sure girls and young women feel safer on our streets means we need to see the Government implementing the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023.
“Women and girls deserve no less.”
The study discovered nearly three-quarters (74%) choose a longer route home to protect themselves, with one in five (19%) extending their journey by over 30 minutes each week, or 26 hours a year, as well.
Charlotte Roberts, an 18-year-old from Clapham, usually spends around £50 on Ubers a week to get home at night with friends.
She said: “It’s precautionary because of the worry about attacks, but I’ve also had lots of bad experiences, being harassed and lower level stuff. It can ruin what had been a fun night.
“It’s scary to me and a lot of women I know because we know about the kinds of things that happen. I’ve been on a train before and had men start talking about my breasts.
“Even with taking Ubers, me and my friends always change out of heels when leaving so we feel we can get away faster in that situation.”
There is urgent concern about women’s safety at night nationwide, with one rape offence reported every hour in London.
Almost 800,000 women aged 16 and over reported a sexual assault in early 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics, nearly three times more than reports from men.
In 2021, the Sarah Everard case called into question the effectiveness of law enforcement in protecting women from harm.
Plan International also revealed over a quarter (27%) of young women who travel home alone at night get a taxi or are picked up by parents at least once a week.
More than half talk to someone on the phone and stick to busy roads, a quarter wear shoes they can comfortably run in, and 48% avoid eye contact with anyone when walking home in public.
Maddie Garrett, 24, from Brixton, remembers taking at least two Ubers a week to get home from nights out safely while at university.
Garrett said: “I did it because the city I lived in felt very empty at night, it felt like someone could follow you.
“I’ve been shouted at whilst walking home by men asking where I’m going, and wouldn’t feel strong enough physically to get away from someone if I was grabbed.”
Garrett described how even cars driving past felt like a threat when she was walking at night, as there was nothing stopping them from pulling up next to her.
The Women’s Night Safety Charter, an initiative to tackle violence against women and girls in London, hopes to create safer public spaces at night and encourage victims and bystanders to report their experiences.
Transport for London‘s head of transport policing and community safety Mandy McGregor said: “At TfL, we are committed to playing our full part in ending violence against women and girls.
“We want women and girls to be safe and feel safe, and for the TfL network to be a beacon of safety for everyone, day and night.
“All stations that are open through the night are staffed at all times to ensure passengers always have someone to speak to should they have any questions or need assistance.”
McGregor explained that the presence of CCTV and other security measures can improve confidence to travel and use public transport, which is why TfL are expanding their CCTV network.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government has set an unprecedented target to halve the level of violence against women and girls over the next decade, and this report shows exactly why that mission is so vital.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that so many young women feel unsafe coming home at night, and we are determined to take action to make our streets safer and tackle the threat of harassment or assault on our public transport systems.
“Later this year, we will set out our Violence against Women and Girls strategy both to safeguard women and girls from rape, stalking, harassment and domestic abuse, and ensure that our police forces have the powers they need to target those perpetrators who pose the greatest risk to women’s safety.”
Any woman who feels unsafe should contact Women’s Aid via [email protected], or call 999 for immediate help.
Featured image credit: Waldemar on Unsplash.
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