In 2026, women prioritize their own safety. Despite decades of awareness and changes, women do not feel as safe as men do. This can be when alone, at night, or in everyday spaces. Women still utilize different ways of staying vigilant as they go through their daily lives.
Femicide and its statistics
The early definitions of femicide are defined as the misogynistic killings of women by men. According to The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, “the killing of one or more females by one or more males because they are female.”
The most common femicide is violence from an intimate partner. In these situations, it often follows a history of domestic violence. According to the National Organization for Women, 55% of all femicides in the U.S. are carried out by current or previous intimate partners.
“Most women are killed by someone they know.” Williamena K said in a TikTok video. “And many reported being stalked or abused long before their death.”
Social media’s influence on violence
There have been many incidents where women were simply killed by a man because of his hatred of women. Much of this behavior and hatred of women has started online and has spilled over into real life.
On Oct. 4, 2024, 19-year-old Semih Çelik murdered two girls, Ayşenur Halil and İkbal Uzuner in Istanbul, Turkey. He invited Halil to his home, where he later stabbed her to death. He then informed the police about his actions and fled the scene.
About half an hour later, he met with Uzuner, where he then murdered and threw her head off the Walls of Constantinople. Halil was his alleged girlfriend at the time, and he was a classmate of Uzuner. Uzuner did not reciprocate the same feelings back to Çelik. He had a fixation on Uzuner.
After his suicide, it was found that he was in contact with people who identified themselves as Turkish “incels.” The portmanteau “incel” refers to being involuntarily celibate, which includes having a difficult time speaking to women. As a result, they will blame, disrespect, and objectify women.
Gender based violence awareness
The 2025 Netflix series Adolescence was created to inform the public about online extremist groups that are against women. The main character, Jamie Miller, is a 13-year-old schoolboy accused of murdering his classmate.
The movie went into depth about how young boys are vulnerable to such content and ideals. With the “Manosphere” and toxic masculinity influencing youth, the film was a call to action to stop it.
Implementing talks about consent into sex education has been crucial in educating students about rape and the power of no. Education about what “No” means to sexual activity allows people to know boundaries.
“Consent education is important foundational knowledge to help our young people, and people of all ages, build and maintain healthy and supportive relationships. It is also a valuable tool for sexual violence prevention education as we teach people how to set and communicate their boundaries, while respecting the boundaries of others.” The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault said.
How are women trying to stay safe?
After a night out with friends or leaving others, women may text “I’m home.” It helps alleviate worry and signals that they did not encounter trouble while making it home.
The #TextMeWhenYouGetHome movement started after the 2021 murder and rape of English marketing executive Sarah Everard. The True Crime Series is made up of real cases where a woman has been abducted, killed, or harmed while out by herself.
Dannah Eve gives some tips on how women should try to stay safe while out. When using ride-share applications, she uses an alias as opposed to her real name. Eve checks to make sure the license plate and car model match the app.
According to a Life360 survey, 70% of Gen-Z feel that their physical well-being comes from sharing their location. According to an adolescent psychologist, Dr. Cameron Caswell, most girls will share their location with friends for safety.
“For many teens, location sharing is about connection and a sense of safety,” Caswell explained to Buzzfeed. “It’s their way of saying, ‘You’re in my circle’ and ‘I’ve got your back.”
As well as sharing location and messages of safe arrival, women have also enrolled in a self-defense course. RAD, also known as Rape Aggression Defense Systems, is offered in many universities to help protect students.
The course provides awareness, prevention, risk education, and self-defense tactics to use in an active threat. The advanced course will provide them with ground defense, advanced kicks, and how to face more than one attacker.
Womens safety is still in danger
Despite education and awareness, women are still in danger. Every day, there is something that happens to women.
Therefore, keeping trusted ones in the loop while out is key to one’s safety. A text can ensure safety, and a live location can save a life.
