A new trend on TikTok, following the death of Sarah Everard, has created a space for women to share their experiences with sexual harassment.
Videos of this kind usually cite the newly released 97% statistic by saying in one way or another, “I’m part of the 97%.” However, this has led to some misinterpretation of the true meaning of this statistic.
On March 10, 2021, UN Women United Kingdom released an investigation that, among other things, revealed that only 3% of women aged 18-24 in the UK had never experienced sexual harassment. The study also showed that, “71% of women of all ages in the UK have experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space.”
1,089 women were surveyed on if they had ever been groped or touched without their consent, physically followed, had images taken of them or shared without their consent, stared at, etc. Notably, 51% said that they had been cat-called or wolf-whistled specifically.
However, amid the usage of this statistic on social media, some have misinterpreted the statistic as meaning that 97% of women had been sexually assaulted or abused or that the number applies to women of all ages, in all countries.
For clarification, one in six women in the US have been raped in their lifetime, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).
This does not mean the 97% statistic isn’t extremely important. The main point of the study was to prove that women (specifically in the UK) tend to feel unsafe or uncomfortable in public spaces and for good reason. Based on this, UN Women United Kingdom has taken the results of their investigations and 150 possible plans to make public spaces safer for women, and taken them to, “Parliament and asked the UK’s leaders to take action.”
The statistic proves especially relevant after the death of Sarah Everard. On March 3, 2021, a week before the UN study was released, the 33-year old woman disappeared in South London.
She was found dead six days later and a Metropolitan Police Officer has been charged with her kidnapping and murder.
Sarah Everard’s death has proven to many of those using this hashtag, that sexual harassment is a concern that needs to be addressed and that even being stared at can make a woman feel uncomfortable or even like she could be in danger.
