Bear or Man: Women’s Ongoing Struggle for Safety in Male-Dominated Spaces
By: Gabrielle Magdalene Gunawan
It’s dark in the woods where you are camping. You are alone in the depths of the unforgiving woods, but the solitude is refreshing. Though, that is when the air shifts. You know there is something outside, so you retreat further back into your tent. Fear envelops you, there is obviously a terrifying bear outside, but when the zip cracks open, you see something that is overwhelmingly scarier. A man. The consensus of the “man vs bear” thought experiment suggests a sobering reality for society as a whole; Many women feel safer encountering a bear in the woods than being left alone with a man. A bear, after all, only attacks when it feels threatened—but what might a man do, motivated by unchecked desires or power? Today, women face a never-ending war for safety in a patriarchal society.
Despite attempts at "countermeasures," like Indigo Airlines' new system where women can select ‘pink seats’ ensuring they are seated next to a woman (essentially a rehash of Japan’s women-only train cars, hardly revolutionary), these initiatives don't address the real issue. Instead of tackling the root of the problem—systemic male violence and societal attitudes—they merely serve to segregate women further, building additional barriers between them and the world they live in.
The situation for women in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took power in August 2021. Women and girls face severe restrictions on their rights and freedoms, making Afghanistan the most hostile country for women’s rights globally. Girls are banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade, and women are excluded from most forms of employment. Restrictions on freedom of movement, access to healthcare, and even basic leisure activities like visiting parks or playing sports have also been imposed.
In addition to these bans, women face harsh penalties for violating the Taliban's strict dress code, with reports of women being detained, held without communication, and subjected to physical violence for not wearing the "proper" hijab. The United Nations describes these conditions as institutionalized discrimination and exclusion, with Afghan women living under some of the most oppressive conditions imaginable.
The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan further compounds the situation, with over half the population facing food insecurity. Women, particularly those who are widows or heads of households, are among the hardest hit. This combination of social, political, and economic pressures has led to a dire situation for women, who find themselves increasingly isolated and without access to basic rights and services.
Compared to the extreme repression of women in places like Afghanistan, our fight for safety might seem small. But these injustices—whether in boardrooms, on trains, or in societies—are all part of a global pattern. It’s not about accepting scraps of progress, such as segregated seating in pink seats; it’s about demanding the right to exist safely and equally, regardless of where we are or who we are with. True progress will only come when society stops placing the burden on women to protect themselves and holds men accountable for the violence and inequality they perpetuate. Our fight, however different in scale, is united by a common goal: justice, safety, and equality for all women.
What about the women who want to sit with their male loved ones? Why should they be forced to choose between safety and staying close to those they care about? It’s not fair that women are the ones constantly adapting to danger, separated and policed in public spaces. Accountability should rest on the men who are perpetuating this threat. Why do women always have to pay the price, making sacrifices for safety while the men who endanger them continue without consequence?
Yet, women are often expected to accept these so-called "solutions" and be grateful for what little we are given. After all, it could be worse—we could be women in Afghanistan, where being treated as less than human has become a grim reality.