Three-quarters of ladies change their outside actions throughout darker nights, research exhibits – as Saoirse Ronan sends stark reminder about feminine security

Almost three-quarters of women said they change their outdoor activity routines during the winter months, according to new data.

Research commissioned by This Girl Can also highlighted the different safety precautions women across the UK are forced to take during the colder, darker months, including mapping out well-lit routes or avoiding certain areas altogether.

A similar study last year found that less than 50 per cent of survey respondents modified their exercise routines in the winter, highlighting a recent rise in women’s safety concerns and the impact of shorter days on their ability to work out and stay active. 

The data was published in the same week that Saoirse Ronan issued a powerful reminder about women’s safety, stunning male actors Eddie Redmayne, Paul Mescal, and Denzel Washington into silence during an interview.  

The American-born Irish actress, 30, was praised by fans online after she interrupted a joke about self-defence, with sexual violence activists and social media users backing the actress for confronting the reality of what women ‘face on a daily basis’. 

Ronan’s mic-drop moment came during an appearance on the Graham Norton show on October 25. 

At one point during the BBC programme, Redmayne, 42, revealed he was taught how to use a phone to retaliate in the event of an attack, as part of the training for his role in The Day of the Jackal, an upcoming Peacock miniseries.  

Mescal, 28, broke into laughter as he quipped: ‘Who is actually going to think about that? If someone actually attacked me, I’m not going to go ‘phone.”

Norton, 61, then mimicked holding a phone to fend off an attacker, saying, ‘Can you hold on a second?’ to which Redmayne said, ‘That’s a very good point.’ 

However, the room immediately fell silent after Ronan issued a sobering reminder of women’s experiences, adding: ‘That’s what girls have to think about all the time.’

A survey of 2,002 women commissioned by This Girl Can – a campaign developed by Sport England to promote sport among women – found that 72 per cent of the respondents changed their outdoor routines after the clocks go back. 

The findings amplify Ronan’s stark warning about women’s safety, as it highlighted the different ways women are forced to protect and safeguard themselves from unwanted attention, harassment, and assault. 

One in four women said they try and stick to well-lit routes, while avoiding parks and quieter areas, while 20 per cent of respondents said they glance behind them to ensure they’re not being followed. 

Doncaster-based Alison shared the unusual safety measure she’s ‘forced to take’ after a terrifying incident forever changed her relationship with running in 2014, leaving her feeling ‘scared, humiliated, and completely vulnerable.’ 

‘I was going for a run at around 7pm before starting my night shift at work,’ she recalled. ‘The conditions were typical for an evening winter run – wet, dark, and cold. 

‘I had my reflective gear on and was doing my best to stick to well-lit streets,’ she continued.  ‘As I was jogging down the pavement, a car drove past me. I thought nothing of it until the driver rolled down his window and threw something at me. 

‘The shock and suddenness of it made me stumble,’ Alison said. ‘Worse than the act itself was hearing the men inside the car laughing as they sped off.  They found it funny, but I was left feeling scared, humiliated, and completely vulnerable.’ 

In the wake of the assault, Alison became fearful of venturing out by herself and joined local running groups that she described as a ‘lifeline’. 

While she eventually regained the confidence to start running on her own, Alison said she remains ‘hyper-vigilant’ of her surroundings – especially during the winter months in the UK. 

She also started sending a photo of herself in her gear to her friends before each run so that ‘if anything were to happen they’d know what I was wearing and where I’d last been’. 

‘It sounds grim but that’s the reality of being a woman exercising outdoors in today’s world,’ Alison added, echoing Ronan’s stark 10-word reality check to her male  Hollywood co-stars earlier this week. 

Like Alison, Brighton-based influencer Nelly London also admitted taking a slew of safety precautions while running outdoors in a video posted on Instagram, including carrying a legal weapon and sharing her live running route with friends so they can raise the alarm if she goes off course.

Her clip followed a 2023 survey conducted by sportswear brand Adidas which found that nearly all women (92 per cent) reportedly have safety concerns about outdoor running. Just over half of them (51 per cent) fear physical attacks. 

Meanwhile, just 28 per cent of men have the same safety concerns. 

This Girl Can, a nationwide campaign to encourage women to be active, has announced its second annual Let’s Lift The Curfew movement in a bid to challenge the idea of a winter curfew that stops women from exercising or walking outdoors.   

Hundreds of women are expected to take part in the Let’s Lift The Curfew runs being organised across the country – from Southampton to Durham – and reclaim the streets. 

‘Violence against women and girls is an epidemic, and our research suggests that women’s safety fears getting active in winter have worsened over the past year,’ the director of marketing at Sport England, Kate Dale said in a statement.  

‘This should be a wake-up call for everyone – women, men, allies, and all sectors to confront the issue head-on, with urgency and action.’