Why is women’s safety so important to me?

I don’t remember a time when safety wasn’t an integral part of being a woman. Long before I knew of the horrors that existed in the world, I knew the routines: sharing my live location, letting people know “I’ve reached”, avoiding deserted areas, and constantly looking over my shoulder. These were not lessons taught in school, but habits quietly passed down from one woman to another, born from lived experiences.

Safety has never felt like a basic right for women. We have been taught to be cautious because we never know who we can truly trust. Over time, these calculations became so instinctive that we stopped questioning them. We have learned how to avoid danger rather than asking why women must constantly organize their lives around it.

This is why awareness matters. Safety cannot depend only on individual women knowing how to protect themselves, we also need communities that recognise vulnerability and warning signs and know when and how to intervene. This is why the work of Freedom Firm is so crucial. They educate and raise awareness, turning an often-normalised problem, into one people recognize and act upon. They have rescued countless women that were thrust into a dangerous world by their own parents or people they trusted. The people that we have been taught to fear and run from, these girls were taught to seduce and entice. 

I have grown up with the privilege of a supportive family and friends who have always looked out for one another. That has made me realise how important it is to extend that sense of protection beyond our immediate circles. I hope for a future where girls inherit confidence instead of caution, and where safety is not something women have to earn through constant vigilance. Until then, creating awareness, speaking up and helping women move from vulnerability to safety are all steps towards making that future possible.

Guest Blogger

I’m curious by nature, always learning and trying to make the most of every opportunity. I’m working on building a life that’s meaningful, balanced and full of experiences worth remembering.

~Vanshita Agrawal