The Importance of Women’s Safety on Campus: An Argumentative Research Essay Sample

I personally just in my first semester in college have felt scared to be a woman on campus in both daylight and night time. Two specific instances come to mind the first, during the day time, when I was walking to my car when a man about my age called out to me but I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me as I had headphones in proceeded to then scream at me for not responding to his comment. Another instant that comes to mind is when I was walking to my car at night time when a boy my age leaned out of the car window to whistle and call to me then get mad when I didn’t respond. Women ages 18-24 are at a significantly higher risk for sexual assault or sexual harassment. If Mississippi State University knows that, then why are they not stepping up to help women on campus? Mississippi State University claims safety is one of their main priorities for students on campus, yet there are so many improvements that could be made that nothing is being done about it. MSU is lacking heavily in safety for women specifically related to better lighting, offering better knowledge about resources and more avaliable parking. Although MSU works hard to keep students safe, women’s safety needs to become a greater priority on campus.

Firstly, MSU would greatly improve women’s safety by offering better lighting on campus. Women who have to walk far distances from their cars or classes in the later hours of the evening have very poor lighting to work with. Not only should more lights be put up but brighter light bulbs should be put in to help make it lighter when walking outside. Women should not have to worry about walking at night alone let alone worry about walking through a near completely dark area because there is little to no lighting. Adding more street lights would not only ease nerves but make it significantly safer at night. Although many people would say the cost of brighter bulbs and putting up more street lights would be too much in the end it is worth spending more money to ensure that the women on this campus can feel safe. 

Next, offering more knowledge of the resources available on campus on how women can protect themselves and information on where or who they could go to if something did happen would signifficantly improve wome’s safety on campus. MSU has many good resources on campus but few people are aware of them and even fewer actually use them. Offering resources to women on campus such as a buddy to walk with on campus, free rides ar night, and free self-defense classes would help improve women’s safety on campus. Having a buddy to walk with on campus would not only ease the nerves of women having to walk by themselves but also give that women a person to confide in if something were to happen on campus. Although having a buddy to walk with would require people to volunteer the simple solution is to offer volunteer hours to those who do take time to help. Offering free rides would eliminate the near-dark walk women would have to travel and offer a safer alternative to get home or wherever they are in need of going instead of walking. While free rides would cost money in gas and either volunteer hours or a pay check to whomever drives the ride in the end protecting MSU’s students should be their first priority. Adding self-defense classes into the mix would be the cherry on top that would give women a way to protect themselves if there was a need for them to have to protect themselves. Very few women are educated on ways to physically protect themselves and that would not only help to protect them but give them the confidence boost to help other women in need. Offering classes MSU could argue would cost money but in the end more people are willing to volunteer and it would benefit more women on this campus.  While increasing resources for women and giving more knowledge on the resources offered on campus would greatly improve women’s safety on campus and should continue to be a main priority for MSU. 

Finally, offering better parking for women on campus would help increase safety on campus. When considering parking on campus women are faced with two obstacles; having to give up a closer parking spot to then have to worry about a far walk in the dark or just not leave

When dealing with parking on campus women have to face two obstacles take the risk and walk through the dark or not leave campus past certain times. Adding closer parking for women on campus or more free parking on campus would greatly improve safety on campus. I know as a woman on campus having to make far walks from Griffis Hall to Hull Hall at night is a very scary feeling not knowing whoelse is out and what could happen to me. Women on campus should not have to choose between only leaving their dorms at certain times to ensure they have a closer parking spot and leaving campus only to lose their spot and have a very far walk back to their dorm. In the end it would cost money to increase parking on the campus but would be very worth it considering how much safety would increase. 

All things considered MSU should push women’s safety to the top of their list. College women are at a much higher risk for sexual assult or harassment than any other age group and deserve to be protected. Some major changes MSU should consider is better lighting, more knowledge of resources along with better resources, and better parking available for women. 

Adding more light post and brighter bulbs would allow for women to feel more safe walking at night time and allow for them to see their surrounding more clearly. Considering adding more resources like a budy to walk with, free rides, and free self-defense classes would allow women to have a person to confide in if anything were to happen, travel safely, and build the confidence and knowlege on how to defend themselves. More parking on campus would also help in adding a more safe way to travel and allow women to leave campus without the fear of a long walk back to their dorm. Although these changes would require MSU to pay a significant amount of money students on campus should be their top priority and these changes are crucial to improving women’s safety on campus.