"Put a man in a room full of women and he is excited. Put a women in a room full of men and she is terrified"

The past few years have been extremely hard for women across the world (plus the thousands of years before). We’ve lost rights, we’ve been raped/assaulted and we’ve been murdered – and many times, no one seems to take it seriously.

When I first heard the news about Sarah Everard in 2021, it really hit me hard. As a woman, I felt unsafe, neglected, disturbed, and worried. How can someone who is there to protect us, be the one to hurt us?
Fast forward 2 years, another police officer has pleaded guilty to 85 serious offences towards women! Eighty-Five!
How many more are there still in the force and still with power?! Not to mention all the women who are also killed/abused by family members, friends, partners etc.

When I really think about it, I can’t think of one woman I know who has not experienced some kind of sexual harassment. The fact that 97% of women in the UK had experienced this, doesn’t even surprise me.

As I watch my little sister get older I dread to think about the world she is growing up in and what it will be like in years to come.
In March 2021, my social media was filled with women talking about sexual harassment, rape, abuse etc. I saw ONE (1) male, that I knew personally, interact with posts that us women were sharing. The rest? Absolute silence.
And then, even scarier, men having an issue with women speaking about their experiences and making jokes. They all LOVE that line “...well not all men…”
There are men showing more support to their “role models” just because they’re a footballer or because they have over 1 million followers. The same “role models” who have abused and raped women and/or who are extremely misogynistic.
Some may call misogyny “banter” or “harmless”, but we forget how accessible the internet is to young people. It is extremely dangerous for children to grow up looking up to people like this.

Despite all this, we are lucky enough to have many charities such as SRASAC to listen, help and support us. Even though not every victim feels comfortable enough to reach out, there are still organisations there for when and if we need them.

After many setbacks, I am FINALLY jumping out of a plane at 15,000ft this June, in the hope I can spread awareness of SRASAC and raise enough money to help them support more individuals.

Thank you for your support, donations and shares x

P.S. I am fully aware of sexual harassment towards those of different ages, genders, countries etc. However, I am speaking from a personal experience, and it was hard to choose just one charity. I hope the money I raise can be used to help all those in need as well as make everyone feel more comfortable seeking help.
Holly Askey