The tragic murder of Sarah Everard in London has sent shockwaves through the UK, and ignited a renewed debate about violence against women on a global scale.

On March 3, Sarah Everard – a 33-year-old marketing executive – left her friend’s house to walk approximately 50 minutes to her house.  She never made it back home.

Her remains were found and identified on March 12, and a police officer is in custody in connection with her disappearance and subsequent murder.

The callousness of this tragedy has struck a chord amongst women globally, prompting many to come out with their own stories of harassment, of abuse, of moments where they thought ‘this is it’.

It has prompted women to also share what they do on a near daily basis to try and keep safe; things like keeping their keys clenched between their fingers while walking or like texting their friends when they get home so that they can be sure that they have in fact made it home.

We have seen stories – local stories – of women who have been harassed doing what would otherwise be considered mundane: such as while out at a supermarket, while out at a club, and – much like Sarah Everard – simply walking home.

But this shouldn’t be a debate on women’s safety – this is a debate of male violence against women.

Framing the debate as one simply on women’s safety is putting the onus on women – telling them that this is their problem to deal with; but in reality, it isn’t.

When it comes to male violence against women – women are the victims and men, whether they like it or not, are the culprits.  We need men to start talking about this: this is a bout a collective socialisation of men that has led to some to become harmful or predatory towards women – and it’s about time that other men see what they can to prevent their brothers from doing this.

We hear about the Not All Men campaign – but the reality is that while it is not all men, more often than not it is a man who is perpetrating these crimes. 

This isn’t a matter of women doing more for their own safety – this is a case of educating men, and boys even at a young age, of what is wrong and what is right; too few men are talking about this.

It’s time for men to do more to fight against the harassment of women – even if it’s something as simple as telling a friend off if they pass a misogynistic remark directed at a woman.

It is scandalous that even in this day and age a woman must fear for her safety while simply walking home at night.

If anything, Sarah Everard must serve as a wake-up call - a wake-up call to men in particular to start talking, and start acting.