Switching carriages. Pretending to call someone. Avoiding a station late at night. Sharing your location with a friend. For many women, these have become ordinary habits. Yet moving around freely should never require a permanent strategy.
Figures that show the scale of the problem
On 30 March 2026, the French government brought together the transport sector to step up the fight against sexist and sexual violence on public transport.
According to the figures released at the time, 3,400 victims of sexual violence were recorded on transport networks in 2024, and 91 % of them were women. In the Paris region, 7 women out of 10 say they have already experienced sexist or sexual violence on public transport.
These numbers do not only describe recorded incidents. They also describe a freedom of movement that can shrink: a route changed, an evening cut short, constant watchfulness, or the fear of being followed.
When vigilance becomes a mental load
Planning your way home, noting who gets off at the same stop, checking behind you or calling someone can give a sense of control. But these strategies come at a cost: they force the people at risk to constantly anticipate a danger they are not responsible for.
Prevention must therefore avoid a trap: turning useful information into an instruction. Saying “stay alert” is not enough. We also need to act on perpetrators’ behaviour, train staff, make reporting accessible, and give bystanders ways to step in.
What to do if you think you are being followed
The priority is to create distance and reach a place where other people can help. Rather than going straight home, it can help to head for a busy area, an open shop, a member of staff or a group of people.
If the situation becomes threatening, asking for help explicitly can work better than a general call: single out one person, briefly explain what is happening, and ask for something specific. If there is immediate danger, the emergency services come first.
There is no “perfect reaction”, though. Someone facing a frightening situation may run, freeze, speak up, find themselves unable to speak, or change tactics several times. Responsibility always remains with the person behaving violently or making threats.
Safety on transport is a shared responsibility
Operators, public authorities and passengers all have a role. A bystander can move closer, create a distraction, alert a member of staff, or stay with the person afterwards. Trained staff can make reporting easier. Public policy can improve lighting, staff presence, alert systems and how incidents are handled.
At My Self Key, this is the view of prevention we stand for: giving people concrete tools without asking women to restrict their freedom.
