When Saoirse Ronan set social media alight with a powerful reminder of the mental load of women’s safety it was painfully clear how important it is to see the world through a lens other than your own.

The actress left an all-male panel of Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne and Denzel Washington speechless after responding to Redmayne’s joke about how he received instructions as to how to use a phone to retaliate in the event of an attack. A response which was part of his training for mini series, The Day of Jackal, in which he played a hitman.

As the panel joked about the seeming ridiculousness of this idea Ronan shined a light on the reality of the mental gymnastics and vigilance women routinely embrace simply to exist.

Her simple statement: 'That's what girls have to think about all the time,' went viral not only because it underlined the gendered reality of violence, but because it highlighted the fundamental disconnect between men's and women’s experiences. 

This viral moment provides the creative spark for a new campaign from positive masculinities charity Beyond Equality and Forsman & Bodenfors. The duo have joined forces to mark International Women’s Day with a campaign designed to better engage men in the conversation surrounding women’s safety.

The campaign rolls out this week in the run-up to International Women’s Day, appearing across digital out of home print and online channels across the UK.

Sparked by the viral conversation started by Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal. The campaign underlines the striking contrast in how men and women navigate everyday situations.

According to a national poll undertaken to support the campaign, around six in ten men believe safety concerns are sometimes exaggerated. However, 95% of men agree they share equal responsibility in ensuring women’s safety.

The campaign aims to bring the invisible mental load of women’s safety to life, by highlighting the daily calculations women make to feel safe, often unnoticed by men. 

Dan Guinness, Managing Director of Beyond Equality, explains: "The idea is simple: when it comes to physical safety, men and women often experience the same situations in completely different ways. Women know this instinctively - but many men, even the so-called ‘good guys,’ remain unaware. After all, they’ve probably never had to see the world quite the same way.”

He continues: “What’s often missing is men fully understanding the extent of these experiences and knowing how they can be part of the solution. This campaign invites them into the conversation and aims to inspire action.”

With this action focus in mind the campaign also has a dedicated landing page at www.SeeWhatSheSees.com. The website signposts support and resources for women and for men looking to take tangible action. It also invites visitors to learn more about Beyond Equality’s work with men and boys.

See What She Sees was created with the support of Stagwell sister agencies Goodstuff, which handled media, KWT Global which handled PR and The National Research Group which undertook the research that sits at the heart of the campaign.

Helen James, CEO of Forsman & Bodenfors London, added: "Alongside policy and systemic change, 90% of women surveyed think men should take more responsibility in calling out inappropriate behaviour in their peers. But it’s not about pointing fingers; it’s about helping men recognise the realities women face and showing them small, everyday ways they can help shift the culture.”

The campaign is built on the generosity of the media industry, with many media owners donating inventory to support the message.

Laura Moorcraft, Managing Director at Goodstuff, added: “We'd like to thank the fifteen media owners who have generously supported the campaign, helping us reach audiences across the UK.  Special thanks to our long-standing International Women's Day partner, Open Media.” 

In a wider marketing ecosystem in which International Women’s Day feels strangely silent, this campaign is a powerful example of the importance of the female lens. 

Until brands and creative agencies alike recognise that women and men are not running the same race, advertising campaigns will continue to feature experiences that do not reflect women’s lived reality. According to this campaign almost two-thirds of women (64%) experience poor mental health due to safety concerns, marketing campaigns featuring women running in the dark feel increasingly out of touch with women’s lived reality.