Whether you believe in evolution or not, humans, monkeys and apes have a lot in common. Monkeys and apes maintain their day to day safety by traveling in communities. More eyes typically result in less danger.

If one single baboon were to wander off and walk the African Savanna alone, its chances of being someone’s dinner would increase tremendously.

Like a solitary baboon, humans are much more prone to being assaulted when alone.

Baboons have two very long and sharp canines to defend themselves against predators. Humans, however, typically only have their strength.

Assault and rape are not exclusive to women, but as listed on a fact sheet by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center , 91 percent of victims in the U.S. are women.

As a strong, independent woman, I’d like to think that if I were ever attacked, by anyone, I’d be able to defend myself. But then again, I’m often aggressively approached by men. Usually they’re just trying to get my number or flirt with me, but one day I stopped to think about it and I realized, anyone of those men could have hurt me if they really wanted to.

Personally, I’m not your average, ditsy, likely to die, “I’m going to go downstairs to see who it is”, scary movie chick. So a year ago, when I came to the realization that my strength alone may not be enough to protect myself against a man, much heavier, taller and stronger than me; I decided not to wait for something bad to happen.

What did I do?

I bought pepper spray and I’m not afraid to use it.

I feel a lot safer with it and I think it’d be a smart idea for all women to carry. It’s of course not guaranteed to protect a person against assault, but I believe it’s still worth it to have.

My pepper spray is attached to my car key chain, and I typically hold it when I feel unsafe, especially if I’m walking to and from somewhere at night.

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, every 109 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Most locations of assault happen near the victims home, in a public place, or in a parking lot or garage.

Unfortunately, women are common targets, so it’s very important that we do what we can to protect ourselves. In the words of Beyonce, “Okay, ladies, now lets get in formation”. Whether it’s buying pepper spray, having your phone in hand with 911 on speed dial, or having a trust worthy person escort you to and from your car at night. Don’t allow yourself to be easy prey.

Pepper spray can be purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target, Walmart and on Amazon.