Women in Lincoln are continuing to speak out against violence and sexual harassment, focusing their criticism on a lack of street lighting.
Social media in the city has seen countless posts recently, depicting the dangers of life as a woman. In one poll from Instagram, 66% of respondents said they feel in danger when walking down the street in Lincoln.
In another poll, run by The Linc, 707 people said they don’t feel safe in the city and 692 said they only feel safe in certain areas.
Grace Smith, a student at the University Of Lincoln, said: “At night, there’s a lot of unsavoury characters around which makes me feel very unsafe.”
Another female student, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said: “I shouldn’t be having my hands look like Wolverine or learn self-defence. If a man wants something he’s going to get it regardless of what I do.”
Both students said there should be better street lighting. At present, streetlamps go off in some areas after a certain time at night, leaving the city in darkness for several hours.
A number of groups in Lincoln are petitioning for this to be changed, in order to keep the community safer.
Emily May, who’s producing a campaign video to highlight how people feel unsafe in the city at night, said: “A big part of our campaign is focusing on trying to get the streetlights back on in Lincoln, to try and make people feel safer and reduce crime.”
With local elections on the horizon, the issue may become the focus of campaigns, as women across the city criticise the current policy.
The current push for women’s safety discussions follows the death of Sarah Everard, who disappeared whilst walking home. A police officer has since been charged with murder and kidnap.