Saoirse Ronan’s riposte on gendered violence goes global

Content warning: this story contains references to violence against women.

By making one candid remark on a British talk show, Saoirse Ronan has sparked a global conversation about gendered violence.

The American-Irish actress appeared on The Graham Norton Show on Friday (UK time) to promote her film Blitz, due for release this week, and was joined by actors Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Eddie Redmayne. Redmayne discussed the self-defence methods he learnt while training for the coming miniseries The Day of the Jackal, including defending himself with a phone during an attack.

Saoirse Ronan’s comment on The Graham Norton Show has encouraged a broader conversation about violence against women.Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

In response, Mescal made light of the topic. “Who is actually going to think about that? If someone actually attacked me, I’m not going to go ‘phone’,” he said, while gesturing to his pocket.

His comments were met with laughter from the men on the panel and the audience. However, Ronan chimed in, leaving everyone lost for words.

“That’s what girls have to think about all the time,” she said, before breaking the silence by addressing the audience: “Am I right, ladies?”

Her comment, met with awkwardness from the male actors, triggered a major response on social media as X users praised her for directly addressing such an important issue.

Kate Fitz-Gibbon, a violence against women authority, said the exchange epitomised the stark difference between men and women’s daily negotiations of safety.

“While men can laugh off any strategies as alarmist or amusing, these are everyday realities for women, and the strategies we put in place to keep ourselves safe in a world where violence against women is at crisis levels,” said Fitz-Gibbon, a business and economics lecturer at Monash University.

Violence against women has been described as a problem of “epidemic proportions” in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2016 Personal Safety Survey, one in three women had experienced violence by a partner, other known person or stranger since the age of 15.

The actors appearing with Ronan have been called tone-deaf on social media, while Centre Against Violence chief executive Jaime Chubb said their stunned reaction was common.

“They may see themselves as good men, and would honestly never hurt a woman, but being confronted with women’s reality can leave them feeling like they don’t know what to say,” Chubb said. “The men on the couch seemed taken aback, but in a way that reflected how much the comments impacted them.”

Chief executive of Safe and Equal Tania Farha said Ronan’s comment was succinct, but it resonated with women across the globe, reminding audiences that women’s safety was everyone’s responsibility.

“To be the only woman in the room, the only one to speak up, can be frustrating and exhausting,” Farha said. “These conversations can make men uncomfortable, but we have to find a way past this … Men have a role to play here, and we encourage all men to be part of conversations and action around family and gender-based violence.”

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

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