Today, I am angry. And I am going to tell you why. I wrote my first blog piece on March 28, 2015. I had been thinking about starting a blog for some time prior to my first piece, but nothing inspired me enough to take the plunge. That was until I learned of the brutal murder of 17-year-old Melbourne schoolgirl, Masa Vukotic. Masa was walking alone in a park, less than one kilometre from her home when she was killed by a man who was not known to her. Following Masa’s death, police officers, politicians and the public alike engaged in conversation regarding the efforts that women should take to ensure that they are safe.
Last week, 22-year-old Eurydice Dixon was raped and murdered on her way home from work. Eurydice was a comedian who has been described as beautiful, funny and clever by those who knew her. Eurydice was merely going about her day when her life was taken from her. My heart is breaking for her family and friends.
To add insult to injury, police have advised the public (read: women) to ‘stay safe’, be aware of our surroundings and to engage in ‘protective strategies’. My Facebook feed is divided, with half subscribing to the same narrative as law enforcement.
I am aware of my surroundings. And I am certain that both Masa and Eurydice were aware of theirs. Why am I so sure of this? Because as women, we have been conditioned to second-guess every single male that crosses our path. Since girlhood, we have had a sense of fear instilled in us whenever we are walking alone and see another lone figure. We have been told to walk faster, keep our heads down and wouldn’t dare do anything to attract attention to ourselves. Women do not go out in public and engage in behaviours that elicit rape and murder, it is quite the contrary.
Yet time and time again, we are told to avoid partaking in risk-taking behaviours, to cover up our skin and to never be out in public unaccompanied after dark. Not only is this advice irrational, it is harmful and it is downright offensive. It is a twist on the age-old victim-blaming response. Masked by a feeble attempt to express concern for female members of society, these statements allude that had Masa, Eurydice and all those women who have found themselves in similar situations behaved differently, they would still be here today. With no mention of their perpetrators, the blame of the actual guilty party is absolved and onus is laid purely upon the victim.
I am outraged that in the three years since Masa’s death, we have learned nothing. I am sick and tired that the conversation in the public realm is still focused upon what I need to change to ensure my safety. I am infuriated and that we are not focusing on what really should have been done to prevent these senseless deaths. It’s 2018, women have been following the advice we’ve been given for years and yet we’re still dying on the streets. How many more women need to die before we wake up and realise that maybe we should be focusing on the perpetrator’s actions and not the victim’s?
Today, I am angry. But I am also hopeful. Hopeful for change.
Rest in peace, Eurydice.
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