It goes without saying that the world can be a very dangerous place for women. And as much as we’d like to think we’ve made progress and that we’re going to be okay, the truth is that 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime compared to 1 in 33 of men (via RAINN). And while yes, much of this sexual crime happens at the hands of romantic partners (and certainly sexual violence isn’t the only thing that happens to women), that doesn’t make it any less scary when we have to go out at night. That’s why TikToker Tia Zahker (@tiazahker) has had to be smart when it comes to doing her job as a female delivery driver.
The 20-year-old loves making cash as a delivery driver, but being a young woman, night shifts can be a bit intimidating and make her feel unsafe. So, she decided to disguise her appearance and “dress as a man” in order to protect herself. She simply pops on a hoodie, long pants, and a hat, which hides her features and doesn’t reveal to the strangers she’s delivering to that she’s a woman.
“POV you’re scared to deliver orders at night alone but you make more money at night so you dress up as a man,” she captioned a TikTok clip showing her transformation. She added: “Male privilege.”
@tiazakher male privilege 🙌🙌🙌
Tia told Unilad that she often had to deliver to more remote areas at night and in order to feel safe and avoid people harassing her, she decided to try and hide her gender. Funny enough, it worked — Tia said she did indeed “feel more safe dressed as a man.”
After posting her video, people in the comments section came on to show her support and encouragement, as well as to lament this being necessary in the first place.
“I worry so much when I see women delivery drivers or Uber! Always tip extra. Stay safe!” one person wrote. Another wrote, “So sad we have to go through this as women.” Others applauded Tia for her ingenuity but wished she didn’t have to go to such extreme lengths to feel safe while on the job.
Tia herself says that she’ll keep dressing up until things are different. “Change needs to take place in our society as a whole in order to allow more women to feel comfortable,” she said. Couldn’t agree more.
