International Women's Day: Taking inspiration from the Goddess of Security

Security is often perceived of and experienced differently between genders, and this has important implications for understanding the diversity of our individual relationships with security risk and threats.

The word 'security' comes from the Latin 'securitas', meaning freedom from care or fear: 'se-' (without) and 'cura' (care). From its beginnings, security has always been about the ability to live free from the fear of threats, whatever form they may take.

As we mark International Women's Day, it is worthwhile noting that in ancient Roman mythology, Securitas was the goddess of security and stability, and especially the security of the Roman Empire.

She first appeared on a Roman coin in the year 62 AD, becoming a typical coin motif for centuries.

The goddess Securitas was a personification of the security that protected the Roman state, its institutions, and its citizens from internal and external threats. She embodied the stability that enabled Rome and its people to prosper, and in times of conflict her image served to reassure the people of Rome that they would be kept from harm’s way.

"IWD is an opportunity to be reminded that security is often perceived of and experienced differently between genders, and that this has important implications for understanding the diversity of our individual relationships with security risk and threats," said Group Brand Strategy & Innovation Director Nicholas Dynon.

"International research also tells us that differing security risk controls, including technologies such as CCTV, are viewed differently by women and men," said Nick, who serves in a voluntary capacity as an organiser of Women in Security Awards Aotearoa (NZ).

"It is incumbent upon security practitioners to factor these differences into their own understanding of security risk, threats, and mitigations."

There is extensive literature on gender-specific perceptions of and responses to crime and security. The following articles represent just a fraction of the academic research on this important area:

• Male warriors and worried women? Understanding gender and perceptions of security threats

• Women's perceived safety in public places and public transport: A narrative review of contributing factors and measurement methods

• Women's Perception of Safety and Security With respect to Urban Public Spaces

• The impact of the MeToo Scandal on women's perceptions of security

• Gendered fear of crime in the urban context: A comparative multilevel study of women’s and men’s fear of crime