'I always know where my keys are': survey backs Saoirse Ronan's words on self-defence

Rarely can 10 words dropped into a TV chatshow have caused such a powerful ripple effect as those of the Blitz actor Saoirse Ronan on The Graham Norton Show.

- Caroline Davies

As fellow actors Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne, Denzel Washington and the host hooted with laughter over whether a mobile phone could be utilised as a weapon in self-defence, Ronan punctured the merriment with the simple phrase: "That's what girls have to think about all the time."

One week on, the viral clip is still being shared. Ronan had nailed it, online commenters argued. Men, even the good guys, seem to have a blind spot when it comes to women's lived reality.

"Moments like these bring attention to the different, often contrasting, daily experiences of men and women," said the Women's Aid charity. "The reality is that we live in a misogynistic society where male violence against women is an epidemic, and women and girls are forced to think about their safety from a very young age.

"We need to come together collectively and confront the misogyny that allows for violence against women and girls, so that the issue is rooted out at the core and women are not left with the responsibility of having to continually protect themselves in everyday life against male violence."

New research by YouGov shared with the Guardian asked 1,200 women aged from 18 to their 80s to describe in their own words: "What do women want men to know about what it is like being a woman in Britain?"