Fearful girls avoiding public transport

A new survey by Girlguiding has highlighted the safety fears and misogyny still faced by young women...

- 

FEARS: Girls and women often feel intimidated on public transport.

ALMOST a third of girls and young women have avoided taking public transport alone out of fear for their safety, a major survey has found, with more than half reporting feeling unsafe when travelling on their own.

The latest Girls' Attitudes Survey from Girlguiding found that 56% of girls and young women aged between 11 and 21 said they feel unsafe taking public transport by themselves, up from 45% in 2022, while 31% said they have avoided it altogether.

The research revealed that disabled girls particularly felt unsafe travelling, with only 17% saying they felt secure on public transport compared to almost double that percentage of non-disabled girls (33%).

Most girls (86%) said they have avoided going out when it is dark to stay safe, with girls of colour more likely not to step out, while almost half (48%) said they never head out in the dark.