And in a blink of an eye, 2021 is over. How fast did this year pass by, right? 2021 was the second year of the pandemic and it seemed that slowly everyone got used to living with unusual habits. Masks were still required almost everywhere, social distancing became more normal, lockdowns were a reality in many countries, people being prohibited to travel became common, green countries became red countries in a matter of hours… To put it lightly 2021 was a pretty chaotic year as well.
For us, women, this last year was also challenging in many other ways. Due to the necessity of isolation and social distancing, most of the world population had to go into quarantine and stay home for a very long time, which forced people to spend much more time with people they live with. Unfortunately, this scenario intensified relationships and increased triggers that led to violence against women, especially domestic violence.
According to UN Women, since the pandemic started, 1 in 2 women reported that they or a woman they know experienced a form of violence. Outside their homes, women are also feeling more exposed to violence, with 40% of respondents saying they feel less safe walking around alone at night since the onset of COVID-19. About 3 in 5 women also think that sexual harassment in public spaces has gotten worse during the pandemic.
However, despite these shocking numbers and rates, we have many reasons to celebrate 2021, don't we? 2021 has been groundbreaking for women, with historic firsts in politics, sports, and entertainment. So let's take a second and remember all the wonderful achievements and fights that women all around the world had, shall we?
In January of this year, Kamala Harris was nominated the first Black and South Asian-American woman to serve as vice president in American history; Sarah McBride was sworn in as the first openly transgender state senator in the USA; Sarah Thomas was the NFL's first-ever female referee to officiate a Super Bowl; Chloé Zhao became the first Asian woman to win a Golden Globe for best director; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization since it was founded in 1995. And the list goes on!! So many women made history this year! These are only a few examples that show how women were completely awesome and outstanding this last year, despite all the difficulties.
Let’s take a minute to acknowledge and support these incredible women, they are opening new doors for women and girls all around the world.
And not only do we cheer for those incredible and inspiring women that made history in 2021, but there were also so many global events that women and girls impacted. Starting with the Olympics Games, did you know that 49% of the participants were women? And who remembers the #FreeBritney movement? Women and girls from everywhere united to bring awareness to the discrepancies surrounding the conservatorship, which was successfully taken down for the first time in American history!!
Women stood together through good and bad this year, we did not let things go by without making a stand and raising our voices.
The Sarah Everard murder in March was a catalyst for thousands of marches and protests in the UK and all over the world, mobilizing women to stand up for changes in social behaviors and police control. Hundreds of women in the UK protested against the spiking movement in nightclubs, bringing important awareness about women's safety. In the US several women and girls marched for the right to their reproductive rights. Paris held women’s safety marches. Let’s not forget to mention Women's International Day and the UN 16 days of activism for the end of violence against women that mobilized women and girls from all continents to spread and raise awareness.
We all know that we still have a long way to go to achieve gender equality and all the rights that we deserve to have. 2022 will also be a year of fights, marches, movements, and social media mobilizing. However, all of the events, marches, and historical moments that we saw in 2021 show more than ever, among the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic, women stood up, united, and fought together for their rights. 2021 was a year of difficulties, but for sure it was also a year to celebrate all our achievements. And hopefully, together, through mutual support and solidarity, we can empower each other and bring more safety and opportunities to women and girls throughout the world, to make 2022 an even better year.
This last year was very important for SafeUP as well
75% of our members are feeling safer walking alone at night and 50% said they are now spending more time outside than ever, going out to exercise, to bars and restaurants, studying and working!
We have impacted so many women and girls lives brought them closer to our mission, strengthened communities, touched and educated many of our followers, participated in important events that brought awareness to so many subjects that are dear to us, partnered with amazing organizations that share our values and we couldn't be happier or prouder! Our biggest mission is to bring safety to as many women and girls as we can.
Our goal for 2022 couldn't be different, to continue impacting as many girls and women’s lives as we can, to help them feel safer whenever and wherever they are, to educate and train people to understand violence against women, to build resilience in local communities and help all of us feel we belong, and that we are not alone.
But most importantly our main mission is unity through a shared vision, join us this 2022, help women and girls belong, feel free, and feel safe. Follow our steps towards creating a change and raising awareness on our Instagram and Tiktok. Spread the word about our app! Lead your community to a safer future for women and girls by taking an active role as a community manager or ambassador. Help us build a better future for all of us, together! We wish you the best New Year's Eve and an excellent 2022!
Cheers, Saúde, Santé, Будем здоровы, Proost, Salute!