Political parties love to remind women and minorities: We care about you.But too often, their care is narrow. Conditional. Safe for their talking poin
Political parties love to remind women and minorities: We care about you.
But too often, their care is narrow. Conditional. Safe for their talking points.
The Pattern We’ve Seen for Generations
When women’s boundaries clash with other groups’ demands, our needs are quietly pushed to the side to avoid “internal conflict.”
We are told to yield for the greater good — as if our dignity, safety, and freedom are optional bargaining chips.
Safety from male violence, economic independence, dignity in elder care, female-only spaces, and equal access to sports or leadership are treated as side issues, not central to justice. While men’s feelings and access is an urgent “must-do”.
The Message This Sends
“We care about you in one area… but the rest? We’ll get to later.” And always later.
Later rarely comes.
We watch political speeches try to soothe us, to explain away our concerns:
“It’s not as bad as you think.”
“That’s not really a problem.”
“We’ve made progress—focus on that.”
But speeches don’t erase what we live every day.
Why This Strategy Fails
Lived Experience Cannot Be Debated Away
Numbers might show that women “care about healthcare,” but only we can tell you why we avoid hospitals where we’ve been ignored, misdiagnosed, or mistreated.Safety Isn’t a Luxury Item
Every time a party deprioritizes safety from male violence, it tells women and girls that their survival is negotiable.Trust Requires Action, Not Comfort Words
Communities know the difference between being heard and being handled.
Child Assault & Sexual Abuse
In the U.S., an estimated 1 in 9 girls and 1 in 13 boys are sexually abused before turning 18. That’s 82% of child victims who are female.Statistics Canada+6Global Issues+6SAGE Journals+6RAINN+1
Violence Against Women & Domestic Violence
Globally, nearly 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.Medical News Today+15World Health Organization+15National Sexual Violence Resource Center+15
In the U.S., over 35% of women have faced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner at some point.The Hotline
About 1 in 2 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, compared to more than 2 in 5 men.PubMed+15Break The Cycle+15UN Regional Info Centre+15
Every 9 seconds, a woman is beaten; annually, that’s over 5.3 million incidents involving U.S. women aged 18+.Emory School of Medicine
Over half of female homicide victims are killed by current or former intimate partners.SCIRP+6CDC+6The Guardian+6
Femicide & Racial Disparities
Globally, intimate partners commit 38% of all murders of women, marking femicide as a worldwide crisis.World Health Organization
Systemic racism compounds these risks: Black women face significantly higher rates of lethal violence—data reveals deep racial disparities in femicide.The Guardian+13SCIRP+13narcissisticabuserehab.com+13
Racism & Bias in Healthcare
Nearly 30% of women report discrimination during maternity care; among Black women, that rises to 40%.CDC+2jamanetwork.com+2
A 2024 survey found that 46% of young women (ages 18–35) felt dismissed, doubted, or discriminated against by healthcare providers.Health
In another report, 21% of patients said they’d experienced discrimination in medical care settings.jamanetwork.com
Stalking: A Gendered, Widespread Threat
Lifetime Prevalence (U.S.)
1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience stalking during their lifetime. Most victims report the stalker is a current or former intimate partner or someone they know.Axios+15Congress.gov+15SELF+15
Awareness in the U.S.
Over 13.4 million individuals in the U.S. report being stalked each year.Congress.gov
Gender Dynamics
Stalking is largely a gendered crime—over 80% of victims are women and more than 70% of stalkers are men. Women experience stalking at three times the rate men do.Frontiers+2Department of Justice+2
Victim Reporting & Legal Outcomes
The U.S. statistic breakdown shows:
1 in 12 women vs. 1 in 45 men experience stalking in their lifetime.Police & Public Safety
Average stalking duration: 1.8 years, extending to 2.2 years if the stalker is an intimate partner.
Only 55% of female victims report their stalker to the police.
Just 13.1% of female victims saw their stalker charged, and 52.8% of cases ended in conviction.arXiv+9Police & Public Safety+9Wikipedia+9
Cyberstalking
Approximately 80% of all stalking victims experienced cyberstalking, with 67% also subjected to traditional stalking.SafeHome.org+1
Rising Trend: Cyberstalking & Digital Harassment
Cyberstalking is growing faster than other forms of stalking, disproportionately impacting young people, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals.University College London
Global Context
Globally, nearly 30% of women (about 1 in 3) experience physical and/or sexual violence—often linked with or leading to stalking.Congress.gov+4World Health Organization+4Axios+4
What These Numbers Tell Us
Fact Insight Stalking is overwhelmingly gendered Women are more often targeted and suffer longer and deeper psychological harm. Most victims know their stalkers Safety concerns often arise in relationships and familiar environments, not just from strangers. Underreporting remains a barrier The low reporting and prosecution rates point to systemic gaps in support and justice. The Takeaway
Stalking isn’t rare — it’s a persistent violation of safety and dignity. Yet, the slow response to it—from awareness to legal protection—reflects how deeply women’s lived experiences are often minimized.
Summary: These Issues Are Not Abstract
These are not just numbers—they are living, breathing realities. Every statistic represents a life changed, sometimes irreversibly, by harm that was preventable. And yet, politicians often treat these issues with selective attention, crafting soothing speeches rather than safe policies.
The Core Truth
You cannot “explain away” the reality of those who live it.
Women and minorities do not owe loyalty to parties that turn our pain into PR talking points.
If political leaders want our trust, they must:
Protect before they campaign.
Act before they speak.
Because we have learned:
A promise without protection is just another broken deal.