A viral Twitter thread asking women to share what they do to protect themselves when going running has ignited a global conversation about women’s safety.
On Wednesday, television writer Amanda Deibert tweeted, “One of my mom groups has a thread that is just women listing and recommending which kind of protection they take with them when they go out running, (i.e. pepper spray, alarm necklaces, whistles) in case you wondered what being a woman is like.”
The tweet quickly picked up traction, garnering responses from women all over the world who shared the lengths they have gone to in order to feel safe while walking home or running.
Some tweeted pictures of their dogs, while others shared links to personal protection weapons found online. Several women even admitted to carrying multiple knives, or guns when running alone.
“I usually jog with this tucked in the hidden pocket of my running shorts,” read a tweet with an image of a small, metallic knife.
Several women noted that they no longer feel safe running alone or only run in public spaces when it’s light out.
“I had no idea that something like that would strike a chord the way it did,” Deibert told CTVNews.ca. “So many women have their own stories because it is so universal.”
Having never carried a weapon herself, Deibert said she was initially surprised to learn that so many women carried knives or guns with them, but noted that it speaks to the level of insecurity felt by so many around the world.
“A couple weeks ago a friend and I were walking and a man was following us quite closely, so we pretended to walk into a building,” Deibert explained.
“We do this without thinking about it—it’s just a part of life.”
Deibert said she was happy to see many men respond to the thread with words of encouragement, or explaining how they support their female counterparts.
“I think about this a lot when I run (very early mornings when it’s dark) and encounter solo female runners, particularly if I find myself behind the other runner. I always change route or cross the road to remove the sense of threat that I know my presence creates,” read one tweet in the thread.
She noted that many were surprised to hear of just how unsafe women feel when travelling alone.
My ex used to religiously hold her keys inside a clenched fist when travelling to her car at night, with each key splayed out between her fingers. A makeshift spiked knuckle duster. I'll never forget that. A haunting thread.
— GODSTEETH (@Gods_Teeth) May 30, 2019
Klarus XT12-XML2-DGREY-A. I like this because I can take it into bars and no one recognizes it as a weapon. There is an emergency tab on the pommel that activates a strobe. The metal rim around the light is for bashing. Some flashlights are more stabby. pic.twitter.com/SlsZLzBp4y
— AaronOfGreenGables (@AaronGables) May 29, 2019
I used to joke about always wanting to run “without witnesses,” but I’ve read and heard about so many women being attacked and even killed while running so now I make an effort to run in public spaces, only when it’s light out and I change my routes each time.
— Bri Ekanem (@Bri_Eka) May 30, 2019
