Dark, wet winter evening. A dash to a nearby food shop between hospital visits (spouse having undergone major surgery, an elderly relative then also admitted to hospital, me with a parent very unwell too!).
Walking home, heavy shopping bag in each hand, so tired. A man and woman alongside each other coming towards me on the path, which is only wide enough for one (very muddy on either side). No, they didn’t part to make way and the man found himself face to face with me, (and I was made extra-wide by shopping bags). He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me! Though he was large and intimidating I didn’t move – to walk round them I’d have to walk in mud! He growled loudly, waited for his companion to make space for him to step to one side, staying on the path, so that he could pass me, sounding an exasperated heavy sigh.
A woman, in his path, how appalling!
Men are so used to us stepping aside that we are invisible. Until, that is, we don’t step aside. Suddenly they have to accommodate the other half of the population they were blind to. Take time to watch how men negotiate a route on a busy path. Most will move around other men while continuing on a line that would slam directly into a woman – they are so used to US avoiding THEM.
Women, please don’t dodge around men, please don’t apologise to them just because you want to occupy as much of the same path as them. Don’t condition your daughters and sons that the space we’re allocated differs by gender.
Men, open your eyes to your actions, most of you are behaving appallingly and in many cases you don’t even know it.
