Survey reveals two-thirds of women fear sexual harassment or intimidation when exercising outdoors after dark

As winter evenings draw closer and daylight hours grow shorter, nearly two-thirds of women in the UK are worried about the risk of sexual harassment or intimidation while exercising outdoors. A new poll by Censuswide for the This Girl Can campaign revealed that 60% of women fear these risks during darker evenings. The survey also found that almost half (48%) avoid outdoor exercise after dark, while 46% alter their exercise habits as a result of the reduced daylight.

On Monday evening, female runners gathered in Westminster, central London, for a run aimed at raising awareness of the challenges women face when trying to maintain outdoor physical activity in winter. The event highlighted the issues brought to light in the poll and encouraged a wider conversation about safety for women engaging in outdoor sports and fitness.

Kate Dale, director of marketing at Sport England and This Girl Can, expressed concern over the impact these fears are having on women’s health. “As daylight hours diminish, many women are opting to stay indoors due to safety concerns, resulting in decreased physical activity levels. This affects women’s overall health and well-being,” she said. “It’s not right that for nearly half the year, we feel we have fewer options to be active in the ways that work for us.”

The initiative is part of a wider movement to address the so-called “enjoyment gap,” which refers to the 2.4 million fewer women than men who enjoy physical activity. Campaigners are pushing to make exercise safer, more accessible, and more empowering for women. This includes efforts such as creating safer public spaces for physical activity and promoting better education about respect and allyship for women in sports.

A recent parliamentary roundtable on women’s safety in physical activity recommended improving frameworks for reporting misogynistic behaviour and incorporating women’s needs into the planning of public outdoor spaces. The ultimate goal is to ensure that women can engage in physical activity without fear, helping to close the enjoyment gap and promote healthier lifestyles for all.