Contributed by: Emiliene Alemkeng

People are faced with a lot of dangers daily in the streets especially women who can’t possibly intimidate their attackers. Sexual harassment, rape, theft is too rampant towards women. The most annoying part of it all is that, women are often accused for being the cause of their predicaments. In so many cases, women have been blamed for being raped or sexually harassed with the pretext of indecent dressing or the other. Whatever the case may be, women need to secure themselves while walking on the streets for there is a saying which goes “prevention is better than cure”. So, the following tips will guide you from being attacked on the street.  

Avoid contact with strangers:

 Meeting strangers might be an opportunity for you to build a new relationship but you have to be watchful with the strangers you interact with. This is because some approach you with the intention of hurting you. Thus, Stay away from people you don’t know except they offer a presentation that is familiar to you. It’s a fact that if you don’t give an attacker the opportunity, he won’t attack you. Some use the strategy of familiarizing with you to lure you. So, avoiding contact with people you don’t know will save you from attacks.

Be vigilant:

While walking on the street, be vigilant and pay attention to your surroundings. Beware of that environment you are in. If you know gangsters are often in that street, pay more attention and move fast not necessarily running. Avoid using your phone on the street because it will distract you and you might be taken unaware.   

Equip your bag with self-defense tools:

There are so many discreet defense tools that you could put in your handbag and use in case of an attack. Go for the more discrete ones like pepper spray. It’s very effective because it’s like perfume. Immediately you are able to spray your attacker’s eyes, run faster while he is still struggling to clean the eyes. You can as well use other tools like comb knife, lipstick stun gun and others that will help you get rid of your attacker by surprise.

Attend self-defense classes:

It is always advisable for everybody to practice self-defense especially if you live in a risky environment or frequent them. At these classes, you will be taught how to physically defend yourself from an attacker especially if they are stronger than you or armed. You will be taught what to do, when and how. Whether to tackle with a kick between his legs, joints, runaway or scream for help.

Play smart and run:

This tip is risky but effective if you can think fast and play smart then you will be able to use it on your attacker. First, what does he want? What he wants will determine if you can play on his intelligence or not. If he wants your money, he will be very aggressive and quick in some cases. If he wants to sexually harass you for instance, he might start by caressing you so you can use this trick. Response positively. It will immediately distract him because he never expected that. Fool him as you can and in the least opportunity, knock and run.

With the above tips, you can keep yourself safe from attackers. In some different attack cases, call the police if you have the opportunity. It is equally important to know the method you should use in different attacks. This is because you might be scared and when you start panicking, confusion will set in. In every case, try to stay calm, relax and think fast before jeopardizing yourself.

                                                                                                               Edited by Nicholine Akou.