Self-defence experts have revealed their top tips for women to protect themselves from an unprovoked attack following Saoirse Ronan’s comments on The Graham Norton Show.
American-born Irish actress Ronan, 30, left the all-male panel – which included actors Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne – in stunned silence after she interjected during a joke about self-defence during an interview on the BBC chat show last Friday.
As the rest of the panel laughed about using a phone to retaliate during an attack, Ronan reduced them to a stunned silence by commenting: ‘That’s what girls have to think about all the time.’
The powerful reminder about women’s safety has led to an outpouring of support towards the actress – and may have led some women to consider learning self-defence tips in case of a random attack.
While there is no quick fix to the rampant issue of violence against women and girls, and statistics show women are most likely to face violence from people they know, experts have told Femail their best advice for what to do if you find yourself in a vulnerable position.
Julie Waite, the co-founder of Streetwise Defence, which runs self-defence classes across the UK, said that 90 per cent of violence against women comes from someone known to them – though unprovoked street attacks do happen.
Her first tip is to create as much noise, chaos and attention as possible, while issuing an important reminder that: ‘Self defence law allows you to defend yourself in a way that is reasonable, proportionate and necessary.’
Julie says that keeping a ‘fierce warrior mindset’ is very important, even though it may be hard to do. Reminding yourself of who you are fighting for – whether it be your family, children or a pet – will keep you feeling strong.
If you find yourself in a position where you need to fight back, going for vulnerable or soft tissue areas will do the most damage, such as eyes, throat and groin.
‘Scratch, hit, bite, rip, tear, spit – go savage – do what is necessary to get them off you and escape. Never give in – never give up. You are more powerful than you think,’ Julie advises.
And – if you can – run away and escape to safety, calling help or emergency services as soon as possible.
As Julie points out, women are far more likely to be attacked by someone they know than by strangers.
In the year ending March 2022, nine in ten rapes against women (92.5 per cent) were carried out by someone they knew – with the most likely perpetrators being an intimate partner, according to the Office Of National Statistics.
On average, one woman is killed by a male partner or ex-partner a week in England and Wales.
London-based self-defence coach Rav Gill, who teaches classes at Fight Box, also shared his tips for women can protect themselves if they find themselves in a vulnerable position.
He explained how learning a martial art can be beneficial. ‘Brazilian jiu jitsu is a very effective form that is designed for smaller people to use against larger opponents,’ he said.
Rav continued: ‘Many attackers will attempt to grab their potential victims so knowing how to escape a hold could be very effective.
‘Many people freeze in a high pressure situation so sparring and learning martial arts lowers the adrenaline trigger so you can think clearly and stay more relaxed in a real life situation.’
Speaking to Femail on the matter, women’s rights advocate and founder of The Women’s Journal, Jennifer Read-Dominguez said: ‘First and foremost, women should not have to be told what to do to prevent being attacked – it’s men who need to be told not to attack women.
‘Unfortunately, though, society has ingrained in us from a young age that we need to take precautions to ”get home safe,” doing things when walking alone that men never have to think about. With that said, it’s still important to be prepared.’
She added further advice, explaining: ‘Women often second-guess themselves, but your gut feeling is one of the best defences you have.
‘If something doesn’t feel right, it’s vital to listen to that and react quickly. Your intuition is usually trying to protect you.’
She added: ‘When we’re out alone, especially in unfamiliar places, it’s important to be mindful of who and what’s around us.
‘Don’t let distractions like your phone take away your awareness – it’s something men rarely have to think about, but for women, it can be a key aspect of safety.’
Next, Jennifer said: ‘One of the most powerful tools women have is their voice. Yelling for help or shouting can shock an attacker and draw attention.’
She added: ‘Knowing a few basic self-defence moves can be empowering. Even something as simple as knowing how to break free from a grab, or where to strike to incapacitate someone momentarily, can make a big difference.’
It comes after Saoirse set social media alight with a powerful reminder about violence against women during an interview on The Graham Norton Show.
The American-born Irish actress, 30, left the all-male panel – which included actors Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne – in stunned silence after she interjected during a joke about self-defense.
Redmayne, 42, explained that amid his training for The Day of the Jackal, an upcoming Peacock miniseries, he received instruction as how to use a phone to retaliate in the event of an attack.
A guffawing Mescal, 28, added, ‘Who is actually going to think about that? If someone actually attacked me, I’m not going to go ‘phone.”
Giggling Norton, 61, mimicked holding a phone to fend off an assailant, saying, ‘Can you hold on a second?’ to which Redmayne said, ‘That’s a very good point.’
The Oscar-nominated actress then found a moment to share her perspective, saying: ‘That’s what girls have to think about all the time.’
The brutally honest comment prompted a moment of silence from the panel. ‘Am I right, ladies?’ she then asked the crowd, eliciting a huge round of applause from the studio audience.
Ronan – who says she would like to play a Bond villain – garnered further plaudits on social media, as people lauded her for speaking up in the situation.
One said: ‘Saoirse Ronan gagging men we love to see it.’
Another called Ronan ‘a queen,’ saying that ‘men need a reminder what it’s like being a woman so they can appreciate their privilege.
The user noted that ‘the silence after she said that speaks volumes,’ while another said ‘the silence is taking me out.’
A separate user said that the clip ‘encapsulates men being ignorant of male privilege in a nutshell.
‘The fact that these guys – nice guys, mind – are just so unaware is almost terrifying,’ the user said. ‘Thank goodness for Saoirse though because we all need a bit more attention drawn to this.’
Another user said: ‘I admire Saoirse Ronan so much – when she mentions how women have to think constantly how to defend ourselves from attack and everyone goes quiet and then cheers. She’s so right!’
One user said the moment was a microcosm of how men and women communicate, saying that ‘this is what it feels like to have any conversation with men ever.’
Another user said that tone deafness in regards to the gender issue was evident in the excerpt from the popular British talk show.
‘The thing that angered me the most is that Saoirse Ronan, the only woman on the panel, had to almost fight to make her point amongst a group of laughing men who didn’t consider her input or the experiences of women,’ the user said. ‘Almost as if that’s the entire f***ing problem isn’t it?’
