‘No women should question their safety’

Ridgely Provencal is running for the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation, which advocates for women’s safety.

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston.

Name: Ridgely Provencal
Age: 31
From: Boston

I am running for the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation to raise awareness and advocate for women to be able to live their lives freely without any fear of being assaulted. The Foundation works to reduce violence, objectification, harassment, and advocates for safety awareness.

Men who go out for a run or walk do not think about being harassed or assaulted and are able to live their life without this worry and women frankly cannot. As a female runner from high school to now in my early 30s, who runs alone and often walks alone in the city, I feel that no women should have to question their safety when they step outside each day, yet we do all the time. We look over our shoulder, we will cross to walk on the other side of the street, we will pretend to take a phone call, we will stop inside a store or at the entry of a home pretending it’s ours. We should be able to do routine daily activities in life without feeling the anxiety of being harassed or worse.

We need to live in a world where women can be outside any hour of the day without questioning or being fearful of being assaulted. As a female in a dominantly male profession, I think it is important to empower, mentor, and educate young women and give them confidence to live their lives unapologetically themselves.

More than 600 women are assaulted each day. We need to advocate for a world where women are safe and free and able to live boldly and fearlessly. The Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation sponsors events for runner safety, violence prevention, self-defense, and education focused on women’s safety.