Curious Femme

Introduction: A Tragic Reminder

On a busy Friday evening in November, 34-year-old Katie Fox was fatally stabbed at a Birmingham city centre bus stop. The attack appeared completely unprovoked – a young woman simply waiting to get home, brutally assaulted in public. Katie’s family later described her as “so beautiful and kind… a shining light in our lives”, mourning the “precious” daughter stolen from them by this senseless violence (Taylor, 2025). Their heartfelt tribute underlined the profound loss and outrage felt by loved ones and the community. Katie’s death was not an isolated incident. It came just two days after 19-year-old Lily Whitehouse was found dead on a street in nearby Oldbury; she had been struck by a vehicle in another suspected murder (West Midlands Police, 2025). These back-to-back tragedies in the West Midlands have once again spotlighted a painful truth: Britain’s women are not safe enough in our city streets at night.

Such horrific events send shockwaves far beyond the local area. Women everywhere have been reminded, yet again, of the vulnerability they often feel after dark. The public outpouring of grief and anger after Katie’s murder echoes responses to previous high-profile cases – from the Yorkshire Ripper murders of the 1970s, to the killing of Sarah Everard by a police officer in 2021, to the dozens of women slain each year whose names barely make the news. Each time, there are vigils, cries of “never again”, and pleas for action. And each time, women are left asking: why has so little changed? It is 2025, and women in Britain still cannot move freely at night without fear of harassment. In this article, we examine the scale of the problem, the toll it takes on women’s lives, and what needs to happen after Katie Fox to finally make our cities safer for women after dark.

Fear on the Streets: An Unsafe Reality for Women

For most women and girls in Britain, feeling unsafe in public spaces at night is an all-too-common reality. A growing body of evidence shows that fear of male violence shapes women’s everyday behaviour. According to Girlguiding UK’s latest annual survey, 86% of girls and young women (aged 11–21) report avoiding going out after dark in an effort to stay safe (Sinmaz, 2025). Over half feel unsafe travelling alone, and nearly one third even avoid using public transport entirely (Sinmaz, 2025).

This represents a sharp rise in anxiety compared to just a few years ago – in 2022, 45% of girls felt unsafe travelling solo. Still, by 2025, the figure had jumped to 56%, reflecting the impact of recent highly publicised attacks (Sinmaz, 2025). Young women candidly describe how, from their early teens, they internalise messages about staying alert whenever they walk alone. Many restrict their social lives, alter their routes, or change their appearance at night, all in the hope of reducing risk.

Critically, this fear is not unwarranted. Harassment and violence against women are widespread. A recent survey by UN Women UK found that 71% of women of all ages in Britain have experienced some form of sexual harassment in public, a figure that rises to 86% for young women aged 18–24 (UN Women UK, 2021). Offences ranging from cat-calling and groping to serious sexual assault have become depressingly “normal” experiences for women, especially after dark. The Office for National Statistics now estimates that incidents of violence against women and girls account for almost one in five recorded crimes in England and Wales, a significant proportion of the criminal landscape (ONS, 2023). And at the most extreme end of the spectrum, the femicide rate remains horrifyingly steady. On average, a woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK (Home Office, 2025). This statistic has barely changed in decades, underscoring what campaigners call a “hidden epidemic” of male violence. It is little wonder, then, that 81% of young women say they feel unsafe walking home in the dark, and that police leaders have labelled women’s safety a “national emergency” (Police Professional, 2024). The threat looms large and is a genuine concern for women. As one criminology expert put it, “In the 21st century, why aren’t we changing that narrative to: Why did he attack her? Why are men violent against women?“ (Tapley, 2024). The onus and scrutiny must shift towards perpetrators and society, rather than placing the burden on women’s choices to simply exist in public spaces.

The Hidden “Safety Tax” on Women’s Lives

Beyond the grim crime statistics, there is another quieter toll: the daily effort, expense and mental load women bear to protect themselves. Researchers have dubbed this the “safety tax”, the literal and figurative price women pay to feel a bit safer when navigating our cities. A 2024 study by Plan International UK revealed just how high that price can be (Plan International UK, 2024). In a survey of 1,000 young women across the country, 62% reported resorting to taxis or Ubers at least once a month, specifically to avoid walking or using public transport at night (Plan International UK, 2024). Each of those women spends an average of £44 per month on these extra rides, which amounts to approximately £528 a year, essentially a “tax” they must pay because public spaces feel too threatening (Plan International UK, 2024). For more than one in six young women, the annual expenditure exceeds £900 (Plan International UK, 2024). This is money drained from their budgets simply due to safety fears.

Money is not the only cost. Women also sacrifice time and convenience. Nearly three-quarters of young women say they choose longer, “safer” routes home, sticking to main roads or well-lit areas, even if it significantly lengthens their journey (Plan International UK, 2024). One in five reported adding over 30 minutes of travel time every week (Plan International UK, 2024). Over a year, that amounts to more than 26 hours of extra time spent walking or driving the “long way round”. These lost hours and pounds are substantial, yet women often shoulder them without a second thought because the alternative, taking a faster shortcut through a dark park or waiting alone at a sketchy bus stop, feels too risky.

Women have also developed countless personal safety strategies as second nature. A vast majority routinely engage in behaviours like constantly talking on the phone while walking, sticking to well-lit areas, keeping keys clenched between fingers as improvised weapons, avoiding eye contact with strangers, sharing live locations with friends, and wearing trainers instead of heels at night (Plan International UK, 2024).

According to the Plan UK survey, more than half of the respondents reported that they “always or often” pretend to be on a call when walking alone, and nearly one-third carry their keys in hand just in case (Plan International UK, 2024). Many young women even admit to wearing baggier clothes or covering up more skin on nights out, hoping to attract less unwanted male attention (Plan International UK, 2024). These behaviours have become instinctive. As one 20-year-old woman explained, “I only recently realised why I always walk quickly with my phone in hand… We’ve learned these habits subconsciously to feel a bit safer” (Plan International UK, 2024).

While such precautions may provide some peace of mind, they illustrate a bleak reality: women are effectively self-policing their freedom of movement. They are spending more, planning exhaustively, and limiting their lives in ways men generally do not have to. Moreover, the “safety tax” is profoundly unequal; those who cannot afford frequent taxis or who depend on nighttime jobs and public transport often feel they have no choice but to take on greater risk. As Rose Caldwell, CEO of Plan International UK, observed, “Our survey highlights the enormous toll that sexual harassment and fear of violence is having on women and girls in the UK, forcing them to sacrifice time and money just to feel safer on their way home” (Plan International UK, 2024). This hidden burden is an unacceptable status quo in a supposedly modern, equal society. No one should have to organise their entire life around avoiding harm that should not be happening in the first place.

From National Outrage to Policy Action

Each time a tragedy like Katie Fox’s murder occurs, public officials rush to reassure us that making our streets safe is an urgent priority. Is this reflected in concrete action? In recent years, there have indeed been a flurry of government initiatives, funding pots, and strategies announced, though with mixed results to date. After the outcry over Sarah Everard’s killing in 2021, the government created a £5 million Safety of Women at Night (SWaN) Fund to support local projects such as improved street lighting, CCTV in nightlife areas, and volunteer “safe space” schemes (Home Office, 2024). While well-intentioned, a Home Office evaluation later found no clear evidence that these short-term interventions actually improved women’s feelings of safety in public spaces at night (Home Office, 2024). The limited 3-4 month delivery window and the complexity of women’s safety perceptions meant that measurable impacts proved elusive (Home Office, 2024). In other words, deeper change was always going to require more sustained and systematic efforts.

Recognising the need for broader action, the government updated its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy and, in March 2025, made a high-profile pledge to “halve violence against women and girls in a decade” (Home Office, 2025). Announcing this on International Women’s Day 2025, the Home Office, now led by a new administration, acknowledged the appalling reality that over 90% of female homicide victims in the past decade were killed by men, and that one in five homicides in the UK is a domestic murder (Home Office, 2025). Standing in Parliament, Jess Phillips MP (recently appointed as Minister for Safeguarding) read out the names of 95 women killed by men in the previous year, continuing the sombre annual ritual she began as an opposition MP (Home Office, 2025). This time, however, Phillips was reading the list from the government front bench, symbolising, she said, that tackling male violence is “now a top government priority” (Home Office, 2025). The Home Office headquarters were lit in purple and green (the colours of the suffragette movement) that evening, as officials promised a new era of “deeds, not words” on women’s safety (Home Office, 2025).

Some concrete measures have followed. For example, the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 was passed after sustained campaigning by groups like Our Streets Now and Plan International UK’s “Crime Not Compliment” campaign (Plan International UK, 2024). This law is intended to criminalise public sexual harassment (such as deliberately following, abuse or lewd comments directed at someone on account of their sex) and finally treat it as more than a trivial offence. Advocates hailed it as a crucial step, but cautioned that it must be properly implemented and publicised. “We need to see the government promoting the new legislation so everyone knows harassment is unacceptable,” Caldwell notes, “alongside tackling misogyny early in our schools” (Plan International UK, 2024). In the nighttime economy, efforts to combat spiking attacks (drugging someone’s drink) have ramped up; the government is training 10,000 bar and club staff in prevention and making spiking a specific criminal offence after a nationwide surge in incidents (Home Office, 2025). Police in many cities have also stepped up patrols in entertainment districts and launched text services (such as 61016 for the British Transport Police) so that women can quickly report harassment on public transport. These are welcome moves, but still largely reactive.

On a local level, cities have introduced charters and initiatives to make nights out safer. London’s Women’s Night Safety Charter, launched by the Mayor in partnership with UN Women, calls on bars, clubs, and employers to take simple but effective steps, for example, training staff to spot harassment, ensuring venues have well-lit routes to public transport, and actively promoting a zero-tolerance approach to misogynistic behaviour (Greater London Authority, 2022). Hundreds of London businesses have signed on, and similar schemes are being rolled out in other cities like Exeter and Southampton. Community-led interventions are also making a difference: volunteer groups such as “Reclaim the Night” organisers, street pastors, and student unions often run escorting services or safe spaces for women heading home. In West Yorkshire, for instance, five towns coordinated Reclaim the Night marches and safety events on the same evening as the clocks went back in October, a symbolic stand against the darker nights, which bring more fear (West Yorkshire Combined Authority, 2025). The sight of hundreds of women and allies holding banners and demanding safer streets shows that public pressure has not let up. People are fed up with living in fear, and they are calling on authorities to make public spaces truly public and safe for everyone.

Changing Culture, Not Just “Closing Gaps”

While better policing, laws and urban design are all part of the solution, many activists and experts stress that the root causes of violence against women must be addressed through cultural change. Fundamentally, the problem is driven by misogyny, a culture that devalues women and enables male aggression. Too often, responses to women’s safety focus on telling women how to modify their behaviour: take a taxi, don’t wear headphones, carry a rape alarm, learn self-defence, etc. These tips, however well-intentioned, implicitly place responsibility on women to prevent their own victimisation. As the Marie Claire writer Mischa Anouk Smith pointed out, “We shouldn’t be telling women to carry pepper spray… We should be teaching men and boys not to harm women“ (Smith, 2025).

This sentiment is increasingly echoed in public discourse. Campaigns like UN Women UK’s “Right to Move” initiative encourage bystanders to intervene when they witness harassment and urge men to reflect on how their own attitudes or behaviour might contribute to women’s distress (UN Women UK, 2022). The emphasis is on collective responsibility: everyone, especially men, must be part of creating a safer environment, rather than expecting women to exercise infinite caution.

Education is key. There are growing calls for mandatory consent and healthy relationship education in schools and universities, to tackle misogynistic attitudes before they manifest as abuse. The rise of online hate and figures like Andrew Tate has shown how easily some young men absorb toxic messages if positive alternatives are absent. The government’s upcoming VAWG strategy is expected to include actions addressing these “root behaviours held by some men and boys” (Home Office, 2025). This could include public awareness campaigns, school programmes, and working with influencers to promote respect. Indeed, many girls say that what would make them feel safest is “educating boys and young men”; in one survey, 56% of girls chose this as the top solution, above options such as more CCTV or street lighting (Plan International UK, 2024). Tackling harassment and violence is not about curfews or escorting all women; it is about raising a generation of boys who do not treat women as targets.

Crucially, justice must also improve. Currently, women have little faith that reporting incidents will lead to action, sexual offences have abysmally low prosecution rates, and many forms of harassment were, until recently, not even illegal. When perpetrators are not held accountable, it sends the message that women’s safety isn’t necessary. This is why campaigners emphasise “deeds, not words”: stronger enforcement of laws, swift investigation of crimes like rape and domestic abuse, and support for victims are all necessary to change the calculus. Jess Phillips has described the mission as ensuring that “the very first time someone like Niamh (a young victim) comes forward, the systems are in place to help her – and even more, that we stop the perpetration of abuse in the first place” (Phillips, 2024). We must remove the burden from individual women and instead make the systems and culture carry the weight of preventing violence.

Towards Safe and Equal Cities

The horrific killing of Katie Fox is a sobering reminder that, despite years of promises, our cities after dark are still far from safe for women. No one should have to fear a walk to the bus stop or a trip home from the train station. As we mourn Katie, Lily, and too many others, we must also harness the collective anger and sorrow into real change. Making Britain’s cities safer for women at night is not an impossible task; it simply has to become a priority across society. This means sustained investment in preventive measures and support services. It means urban planning that centres the safety of all users (for instance, better lighting, clear sightlines, and 24-hour public transport options so nobody is stranded). It means workplaces and universities taking responsibility for the safety of their female employees and students outside of working hours. It means police and councils listening directly to women about which areas feel dangerous and why, and then acting on those insights.

Above all, it means refusing to accept violence and harassment as inevitable. We can change the culture that enables these crimes: by challenging sexist attitudes whenever we encounter them, by teaching our sons to respect women’s autonomy, by intervening (safely) if we see a woman being bothered on the street, and by supporting campaigns that demand zero tolerance for gender-based violence. The sight of thousands reclaiming the night in rallies, the success of feminist campaigners in changing laws, and the frank public conversations happening now are all reasons for hope. There is a growing understanding that women’s freedom to walk our streets is a human right, not a privilege to be earned by dressing a certain way or avoiding nightfall. Katie Fox should have had that freedom, as should every woman.

If Britain is to honour the memories of those lost and truly be a country where women are equal, then our cities after dark must be transformed. That transformation is underway, but it requires all of us – from government ministers to local pub owners to ordinary bystanders – to keep pushing it forward. Safer cities for women are safer cities for everyone. Let us not wait for another tragedy to force our hand. After Katie Fox, let this be the moment we finally say: enough is enough, women have the right to feel safe at night – and we will make it so.