Adidas Spotlights ‘Ridiculous’ Means Women Have To Go Through To Go On A Run
Adidas’s new campaign and research highlight the fear women feel trying to run in peace, but are often met with unwelcome attention or threatening situations that leave them scarred.
The Ridiculous Run campaign depicts women preparing for a run at night and equipping themselves not only with comfortable shoes and a good playlist but also whistles and an entourage of people in cars, on motorbikes, and on horses to guide them through their route.
It’s a dramatic portrayal of a real problem that plagues women everywhere. Something as simple as running has now become an activity requiring weapons and bodyguards.
About 9,000 women and men from countries like Japan, China, the US, the UK, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, and South Korea participated in the athletic brand’s study.
According to the research, 69% of women took precautions, including wearing loose clothing or running with just one earbud in, while 56% reported receiving lewd remarks like catcalling and honking.
On the flip side, 62% of men recognized the struggles women faced, but only 18% felt it was a man’s job to help them feel safer.
Ultimately, what the campaign is calling for is to call for allyship from males and to stamp out misogynistic at a grassroots level. Educating men and boys stands at the core of making it safer for women to go about their lives.
“Addressing this issue is a marathon, not a sprint, and our campaign will not solve this overnight, but if we can encourage more men to understand their role as allies, we can create progress and, hopefully, change,” says Sina Neubrandt, Adidas Women, Global Communications Director.
The Ridiculous Run is part of Adidas’ With Women We Run initiative. It is in partnership with the White Ribbon charity that aims to prevent violence toward women by educating boys and men.
