If there’s one thing that really gets me about winter in Ottawa, it’s the darkness. I like going for walks by myself, and in the fall and summer I’ve got all evening to do so. In the winter, my potential walking time is drastically shortened by the early sunset. After all, I know better than to walk alone when it’s dark out. The same way that I am sure to monitor my drinks at parties, watch what I say to strangers, and generally avoid situations that I think might be unsafe.
There’s no question that sexual assault against women is an issue in Ottawa. This week, the Ottawa Police Service released two sketches of a man they believe could be responsible for as many as 10 random sexual assaults in the city over the past 17 months.
In November, an Ottawa taxi driver was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female customer. Over the summer and into the fall, there were reports of several assaults on women near OC Transpo stations. One sexual assault is too many. The fact that these were heavily publicized in local media makes it clear that this is still a problem in Ottawa.
Despite this, however, women’s safety in Ottawa is not going downhill. In fact, the amount of media attention that has been dedicated to these stories is a positive thing: it shows that sexual assault is something that is taken very seriously. Knowing this, in a way, should make women feel safer.
Along with media coverage, Ottawa now has a lot of initiatives and campaigns aimed at improving women’s safety. There is no way to tell how many attacks these will actually prevent, but just knowing that people are thinking about women’s safety should be reassuring. The Don’t Be That Guy ads on buses, placed there by a coalition between Crime Prevention Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital, should remind us that people are out there fighting for a city that is a little bit safer. These ads aim to spread the message that sex without consent is never okay, creating a stigma against rape culture.
OC Transpo now has a new set of safety initiatives, including the option to ask the bus driver to stop closer to your home after 7 p.m. This also is a reminder that the community values women’s safety and comfort. Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, and Algonquin College all offer some kind of foot patrol service for students who wish to have someone accompany them while walking on campus at night.
Women’s safety is an issue that must continue to be discussed. It will be a long time before most women could claim they feel 100-per-cent safe – if I did, I wouldn’t be worrying someone might spike my drink or hassle me when I’m walking alone.
I also understand that my personal experiences do not speak for all women and that many have had negative experiences that make them continue to feel unsafe in their communities.
But the fact that these initiatives are out there, making sure everyone in Ottawa knows how serious of a problem this is, is a success in itself in my opinion. You have to start somewhere and Ottawa is on the right track.