where are our male allies?

3 minute read

Last week was deeply upsetting and relentless for girls and women across the country. After the annual flurry of content for International Women’s Day (IWD), just two days later we learned that 97% of 18-24 year old women have been sexually harassed in public spaces. Then on Friday, police confirmed the tragic murder of 33 year old Sarah Everard who was killed while walking home by one of their own male officers. The following evening, we watched in horror as the same police force violently arrested women who attended a vigil in her memory.

I once had to explain to a former male committee member of Derby Cycling Group that I felt scared to walk or cycle home alone. I told him I’ve been abused, harassed and followed on our streets. He said he didn’t believe me because he never feels like this.

Men, and predominantly those who are straight, white and middle aged like this man was, significantly outnumber women in Derby’s cycling sector at every level. Whether that is staff and volunteers at our cycling organisations, or those who ride bikes.

Women in Transport’s recently launched Gender Perceptions & Experiences Working in Transport report shows that 70% of women in the sector have experienced discriminatory behaviour and language. 1 in 4 women felt they had to adapt their personality to fit in.

As a sector, we encourage cycling. We lead on behaviour change initiatives. We contribute to the design of our streets. Yet, the voices and needs of girls, women and non-binary people are underrepresented at every level and repeated abuse towards us is ignored, defended and tolerated. We are dismissed, blamed and excluded from conversations, and decisions.

At spoke out, we are working hard to change this but from our experience, we know that no matter how many formal complaints we file, how many statements we write or films we make, sadly nothing changes. We cannot do this alone. Moreover, we should not have to because as girls and women it is neither our fault, nor our responsibility, to fix abuse, harassment and violence towards women. It is the responsibility of men. We acknowledge it is not all men, but it affects every woman.

The aim of our IWD campaign is to raise awareness of the impact of the current disconcerting rate of unacceptable language and behaviour towards women, but also to put a stop to this by calling on our city’s cycling organisations, clubs & groups, members, bike shops and anyone involved in cycling to pledge their commitment to choose to challenge gender bias and inequality.

We understand the essential role men have in achieving equality so we reached out to the men in our sector via various platforms on numerous occasions. We provided links to research on gender equality and a guide to effective allyship. We created a simple form that takes less than 1 minute to sign.

Despite this only two men have added their names.

We are so grateful for their support but we want to understand why everyone else chooses to remain silent. We need more men like them who are open to learning. Men who understand the challenges girls and women still face. Men who will stand up and call out their peers if needs be. Men who will acknowledge and apologise if they make a mistake.

We know it is going to be uncomfortable, we know it is not easy and we realise it is not going to happen overnight.

But it has to happen because more women are cycling than ever before and we deserve to be able to do this in safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces – that means better provision for walking and cycling and calling out problematic behaviour.

So a week on from International Women’s Day and in the wake of the past few awful days, we reiterate our call to action to everyone, but especially to the men in Derby’s cycling sector, to step up as proactive, informed allies not just on 8th March, but on every single day of the year.

We should not have to live in fear.

In solidarity,
Lucy

founder | spoke out