Safety tax: Girls spend hundreds each year to avoid nighttime dangers

The survey of 1,000 UK girls and young women aged 14-21 found that 62% take taxis home at least once a month to avoid risks associated with public transport or walking home, such as violence and harassment. Those doing so are spending an average of £44 a month, or £528 per year, in an attempt to stay safe. More than one in six (16%) reported paying over £900 annually. 

In addition to the financial burden, girls and young women are also spending extra time on safer, longer routes home. Nearly three-quarters (74%) say they always or sometimes choose a longer route home for the sake of safety, with one in five (19%) of these girls and young women extending their journey by over 30 minutes each week or over 26 hours per year. 

The survey also revealed that over a quarter (27%) who travel home on their own at night take a taxi or get picked up by parents at least once a week, rather than risking using public transport or walking. 

To feel safer when walking in public, the top measures girls take are: 

·       Talk to someone on the phone (57%) 

·       Stick to well lit roads (53%) 

·       Stick to busy roads (51%) 

·       Avoid any eye contact with anyone (48%) 

·       Turn location tracking on for friends or family (45%) 

·       Message contacts from their phone consistently (38%) 

·       Wear one earphone (33%) 

·       Hold keys in hand (32%) 

·       Be accompanied by a male friend or family member (31%) 

·       Wear shoes they can comfortably run in (e.g. swap heels for trainers) (25%) 

·       Wear extra clothing to cover up skin (20%) 

Serena, aged 17, from Buckinghamshire, said: “I never take public transport after dark. You hear stories like Sarah Everard's, and it makes you really conscious of your own safety. Most of the time, I end up getting a taxi instead, which isn't cheap, but I feel like I have no other choice. It’s frustrating having to always turn my music down or not wear earphones at night — sacrifices I know lots of girls make just to feel safe. I have ear defenders which help me as I sometimes get overwhelmed by noise, but I often choose to sacrifice wearing these so I’m aware of my surroundings just in case.  

“We need better education in schools, especially for boys, about how to be good allies and understand what girls go through. In my experience, lessons on these topics were almost non-existent, and they weren’t helpful. No one should have to sacrifice their comfort or freedom to feel safe, and everyone should have the same opportunity to go out at night without fear.” 

Ashwa, aged 18, from Slough, said: "I try to avoid traveling home at night whenever possible. When I used to walk home from school, I would take a route that added 20 minutes to my journey just to avoid certain areas that didn’t feel safe, and I know many others did the same. But I think there’s too much emphasis on what we must do to protect ourselves. We need to focus on teaching people from a younger age about how to act in public and how their actions can make others uncomfortable. If that became the norm, more people would feel empowered to call out inappropriate behavior, and maybe then, men would realise that certain things just aren’t okay."  

Jennifer, aged 20, from London says: “Whenever I'm in an area I don’t know, I almost always take a cab because it's just not worth the risk. It’s frustrating because this can get really expensive. I only recently realised why I always walk quickly with my phone in hand when I’m out in public — it's an instinctive response to avoid unwanted attention and be ready to contact someone at all times. I don’t think many girls are taught these safety measures; we’ve just learned to do them subconsciously to feel a bit safer. There should be more awareness raising in public spaces so that people understand what behaviour is unacceptable and know how to help others." 

Rose Caldwell, CEO of Plan International UK said: “Our survey highlights the enormous toll that sexual harassment and fear of violence is having on women and girls in the UK, forcing them to sacrifice time and money just to feel safer on their way home.  

“We welcome the Government's ambitious pledge to halve violence against women and girls, but achieving this in the next ten years will require tackling the issue across all parts of society. Making sure girls and young women feel safer on our streets means we need to see the Government implementing the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023 and effectively promote the legislation so everyone in society knows that harassment is unacceptable. Alongside this, it is vital that we tackle misogyny early in our schools. Women and girls deserve no less.” 

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery raised funds to enable the Crime Not Compliment campaign, which led to the passing of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023. 

Laura Chow, Head of Charities from People’s Postcode Lottery, said: "Girls and young women deserve to feel safe and travel without fear. These findings highlight the added challenges that young women face in their everyday lives, spending more time and money for their safety. It's great that our players are helping Plan International UK in their ongoing work to make public safety better for girls, ensuring something as simple as getting home safely is a reality for everyone."  

Plan International UK’s State of Girls Rights in the UK report, launched on 18 July, revealed that only 5 per cent of UK girls said they feel completely safe in public spaces. 

Girls and young women said the top things that would make them feel safer and more protected in public were:  

• 56% said educating boys and young men to help change their attitudes and behaviour  
• 47% said education in schools about recognising and preventing sexual harassment  
• 41% said campaigns targeted at boys and men to address their behaviours towards girls and women in public spaces 

Notes to editors:  

Methodology  

• Opinium surveyed 1,000 nationally representative girls and young women aged 14 to 21 across the UK 
• Survey data was collected July 2024 
• Plan International UK’s State of Girls’ Rights in the UK report published 18 July can be downloaded here https://plan-uk.org/state-girls-rights  
• In the survey of nearly 3,000 girls and young women for the State of Girls’ Rights in the UK report, just 5% of UK girls said they feel completely safe in public spaces