South African society is dangerous. Women are at risk everywhere. While you cannot make the danger go away completely, you can minimise your exposure to violent crime.

Women (and men) are mugged, assaulted,  hijacked and murdered regularly in South Africa. Life cannot come to a standstill, because women fear being targeted. And many women are also attacked in their own homes, so complete withdrawal is not really an option either. So what are women to do?

“Take basic precautions”, says Sanette Smit, self-defence expert and author of the book The South African Woman’s Guide to Self-Defence. “And if you are attacked, getting away should be a woman’s main objective, but if you can’t, fight back, as nine out of every ten rapists and attackers are not expecting resistance.”

So what are the basic precautions?

These things might seem basic, but in some cases where women are attacked, robbed, or assaulted, one or more of these precautions might have been overlooked. This is easy to do when you're just getting on with your busy life. Remember, that sometimes one slip-up is all that it takes. Do make the following things a non-negotiable habit:

In public places

• Be alert at all times and on the lookout for strangers in your area. Many robbers or muggers check out an area for a long time before they strike.
• If your sixth sense alerts you to danger, listen to it and turn around or get to safe place. It is better to be safe – and late – than sorry.
• Avoid dark places or alleys or areas with lots of vegetation, even if you know the area well.
• Vary your routine and your route – don’t leave work or home at exactly the same time every day, as someone could be watching your movements.
• Don’t hesitate to ask friends, colleagues or security personnel to accompany you to your car if you leave work late.
• Don’t wear expensive jewellery, or carry your purse or cellphone in your hand as this could alert muggers. Make sure your handbag is properly closed and keep it close to your body. Don't put it on the passenger seat - that's how smash-and-grab incidents happen.
• Don’t relax your precautions in parking garages or lifts – many women have been attacked in these two places. If someone you find odd gets into the lift, press the button and get out at the next floor, rather than being alone in the lift with this person.
• It is better to be thought rude by strangers than to be attacked by someone who uses your unwillingness to offend as a weapon against you.
• If you think you are being followed, don't drive home, as the person following you will then know where you live, and you are an easy target when you get out of your car. Drive to an all-night petrol station where there are lights and people, and summon help from there.
• Try to minimise night-time driving, as hijacks often take place after dark. Don’t come to a complete standstill at traffic lights and stop streets after dark. Slow down, check the oncoming traffic carefully and continue driving. Just remember that technically you are breaking the law, so make sure you double check carefully.
• Lock your doors and windows when driving around. It is so easy to forget this, especially if your car doesn't have central locking.
• Join the AA. Don’t get out of your car if you break down and never walk along the highway on your own. Use your cellphone to summon help. Make sure this is charged at all times. Be very careful to accept help from strangers.
• Don’t sit alone in deserted train carriages. Try and travel at times when the trains are not empty. If you're taking a minibus taxi, don't get in if there are only male passengers already in the taxi - especially at night.
• If you are attacked, scream, shout and fight back. This will put off most attackers as they are not expecting it. It could also summon help from passersby.
• Check your car before you get in to make sure no-one is in it. A small person could easily lie on the back seat without your seeing him in the dark.
• When walking in public, don’t amble. Look purposeful and walk briskly.

At home

• If there are strangers in front of your house, especially at night, don’t stop your car. Drive around the block or go away completely. Invest in an electric gate, and make sure it is closed behind you before you get out of your car.
• Invest in 24-hour armed response. Your safety cannot really be measured in rands and cents. Burglars and other criminals will usually avoid houses that have these signs up, and even if they don’t, at least you know armed response will be there in minutes if you press the panic button.
• Don’t relax your security precautions just because your husband or boyfriend is at home. This is a big one. Home invasions have taken place in the middle of family gatherings.
• Don’t open your door to strangers. Ask to see ID of people claiming to be from legitimate organisations such as the council or Telkom. (Remember that anyone can get hold of a blue overall. Work clothes prove mothing.)
• Do a self-defence course, so that you know how to fight back if you are attacked.
• Get a cheap cellphone purely for home security reasons. Put it next to your bed at night and predial your security company’s number. This way you could contact them by pressing one button. This will work even if the alarm has been disabled.
• Never take in strangers from the street to do odd-jobs. This sounds so obvious, but it is astonishing how many people still do this - and pay dearly for it.
• Remember that a fair percentage of the hawkers/beggars who come to your door could have ulterior motives. Give regularly to a charity and don’t feel guilty for not helping everyone who comes to your door.
• If you wake up at night and hear something in the house, lock yourself in a room (bathrooms can often lock from the inside) and call for help as soon as you can. Many people have invested in a security gate on their bedroom door. Whatever you do, don’t investigate on your own – there might be 4 or 5 people and you won’t be a match for them.

 (Health24, updated October 2012)