While the British public continues to mourn the death of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, and faces the sinister potential that her alleged killer is someone charged with protecting the public, concern for the safety of women continues to gain momentum.
Everard, who was last seen on March 3, was taking a 50-minute walk from a friend’s house in South London when she disappeared.
In what is believed to be her last known photograph, the marketing executive was dressed in brightly colored clothes and made her walk down one of the city’s busy streets at around 9:30 pm.
Everard never returned home, which led to the search for a missing person, which ended when his family’s worst nightmares were confirmed. Her body was discovered on March 10, 90 kilometers from where she was last seen.
A police officer was arrested and charged with murder. Her death sparked a call for immediate action to tackle violence against women and girls, while activists took to the streets of London to protest.
The palpable pain related to Everard’s kidnapping and death was felt by women across the UK and online, and served as a reminder of how violence against women and the threat of it is part of everyday life.
The sentiment was captured in a powerful Instagram post by fitness expert Lucy Mountain, with the phrase “text me when you get home xx”.
In the caption to support his now viral post, Mountain wrote: “I can’t stop thinking about Sarah Everard and how a woman was not allowed to go home. It is unbearable. ⠀
“I also felt a deep sense of connection between me and other women this week. I’ve had conversations about how to be hyperconscious about our security is something we’ve done over our entire lives. The deep sense of connection is one of fear. “
Online, women shared their personal experiences using hashtags as #textmewhenyougethome and #ReclaimTheStreets to emphasize the urgent nature of combating violence against women and girls at the hands of men.
The message is one that many women are used to sending without hesitation – and almost by default.
Some women shared how fear often made them hyperconscious, to the point of planning their escape route if they were attacked.
The women shared how they feared for their friends and sisters who did not confirm when they got home safely.
The phrase and purpose behind it seem like a distinct shared experience among women, as Mountain put it in his post, “Text me when you get home xxx is a standard procedure for women. Autopilot.”
The investigation into Everard’s murder continues, as do the demonstrations with more protests and vigils being organized by activists.