Self Defense & System Failure: Tackling Violence Against Women with HASSL
Summary
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 harassment
How current safety tools and apps unintentionally shift the burden to women
Hassl’s 5-part approach: public space design, awareness, systemic misogyny, reporting barriers, and more
How society often minimizes or normalizes street harassment
The need to involve men in real change (and how Hassl is doing just that)
Why prevention must come before response
How Amy’s personal experiences and deep sense of justice led her to found Hassl
The parallels between Amy’s mission and Mandi’s own journey of reclaiming safety after trauma
Resources
The case of Sarah Everard
Previous episodes on the Manosphere and also bystander intervention
Mandi’s own survival story after having the FBI come to her door
Connect with Amy & Hassle:
Instagram: @hasslOfficial
Website: Hassl.uk
Connect with Mandi:
Website: MandiPratt.com (Take the Intuition Quiz!)
Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt
The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.
