Walking home after dark shouldn’t feel like a risk — for many women on college campuses, it still does. Universities love to advertise their commitments to equity and student well–being, but when those opportunities involve being on campus after dark, some have to choose possible opportunities over safety. What remains is a familiar reality: women modifying their routines, gripping their keys and sharing locations.
At the University of Oregon, students feel that gap every day. Kat Newgard, a junior marine biology major, described how a man repeatedly approached her near her home. “I was walking to work, and he came up to me and I felt freaked out because of what had happened,” she said. “I don’t know if I would call it harassment — he’s just been hanging around my house, but it’s scary.”
As women, we tend to downplay fear, rationalize danger and avoid being “dramatic.” But fear shouldn’t require an actualized threat of harm to be considered valid. When women feel unsafe, behaviors and actions change: skipping campus evening events, avoiding certain routes or missing opportunities that require walking alone. These self–protective choices aren’t irrational; they’re learned responses for women in a risky environment…