Today is 1^st March where the hashtags #ZeroDiscrimination and #ZeroTolerance are trending. It is also a time when statistics show us that one incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute; two women are murdered every week by their partner or ex-partner; and only five per cent of rapes reported to the police result in the perpetrator being convicted in court.

The other day, I was harassed by a drunk man asked me: ‘are you married?’ to which I replied: ‘what if I’m not – what difference will it make to you?’ I hoped the question would bring some clarity to his own but the self-awareness created in the reflected question produced an aggressive response. So, for once, I found the willpower to walk away.

Walking away can be difficult. Even addressing a threat via a question can be scary because you do not want to aggravate…