Self Defense & System Failure: Tackling Violence Against Women with HASSL

What if we stopped telling women how to stay safe and instead fixed the systems that make them unsafe? In this powerful episode, Mandi Pratt sits down with Amy Watson, founder of Hassl—a UK-based social enterprise dedicated to tackling public harassment at its root. Amy and her team are on a mission to shift the burden off of women to stay safe and onto society, where it belongs. Hassl is pioneering a prevention-first model that includes everyone, not just women.Amy shares her journey of witnessing everyday harassment, and reaching a breaking point. Together, Mandi and Amy talk about the deep roots of gender-based violence, why victim-blaming is so insidious, and how we can reframe safety as a collective responsibility inviting men into the conversation and building a world that’s safer for all genders. Whether you’ve experienced harassment or are passionate about dismantling systems of injustice, this episode offers thoughtful solutions, real-life stories, and a hopeful path forward.Why Hassl was created to address the root causes of public harassmentHow current safety tools and apps unintentionally shift the burden to womenHassl’s 5-part approach: public space design, awareness, systemic misogyny, reporting barriers, and moreHow society often minimizes or normalizes street harassmentThe need to involve men in real change (and how Hassl is doing just that)Why prevention must come before responseHow Amy’s personal experiences and deep sense of justice led her to found HasslThe parallels between Amy’s mission and Mandi’s own journey of reclaiming safety after traumaRESOURCESThe case of Sarah EverardPrevious episodes on the Manosphere and also bystander interventionMandi’s own survival story after having the FBI come to her doorConnect with Amy & Hassle:Instagram: @hasslOfficialWebsite: Hassl.ukConnect with Mandi:Website: MandiPratt.com (Take the Intuition Quiz!)Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPreparedSend me a message