A female food delivery driver who felt unsafe working at night came up with the idea of dressing as a man on the job so she could earn more money.
It's an unfortunate reality that women across the globe have been left feeling threatened and unsafe while out by themselves after dark, whether thanks to their own scary experiences with strangers or through horrifying stories shared by other women.
Working as a delivery driver, 20-year-old university student Tia Zakher regularly comes face-to-face with strangers as part of her job, which she began in 2022.
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She told UNILAD she felt unsafe whenever she had to deliver an order to 'a more secluded and isolated area', but since more people tend to order food in the evening, she'd be missing out on money if she stopped working when the sun went down.
In an attempt to keep herself safe while still bringing in cash, Tia decided 'dress up as a man' when working at night.
Footage shared on TikTok shows the student wearing a cap, hoodie and trousers, with a face mask over her nose and mouth to help hide her features.
A caption on the video read: "POV you're scared to deliver orders at night alone but you make more money at night so you dress up as a man."
Alongside the post, Tia added: "Male privilege."
Tia said she decided to dress up because she felt she would 'feel more safe when doing so and it is less likely for someone to bother' her.
When asked if she noticed a difference in the way she was treated while dressed as a man, Tia responded: "I did feel more safe dressed as a man."
The 20-year-old received a lot of support from viewers after sharing her disguise, with one TikTok user noting it was 'so sad we have to go through this as women', while another commented: "I worry so much when I see women delivery drivers or Uber! always tip extra. Stay safe."
"We all trying to be safe. Wishing you all the best," wrote a third.
While many commenters said Tia made a convincing man, she shouldn't have to dress up in disguise to feel safe while working.
In order to feel safe without wearing a disguise, Tia expressed belief that 'change needs to take place in our society as a whole in order to allow more woman to feel comfortable'.
Emily Brown