I think a lot of men don't realize that for most women, the feeling of walking around alone in a normal place is equivalent to a man walking around in a very sketchy neighborhood. Almost any man can overpower a woman and, if he really wanted to, kill her with his bare hands. But if a man wants to attack another man, his chance of success is only as good if he has a weapon of some kind.
It is for this reason that I encourage women to carry weapons and train with them. Even if it's just pepper spray, it's better than nothing. And like a fire extinguisher or a tourniquet, it only has to come in handy once to be worth all the trouble of keeping it around.
Furthermore, self-defense classes will pay off even if never directly used. Knowing you are better able to defend yourself is a great confidence boost and balm for anxiety - it lets you carry yourself differently (emotionally and physically), which decreases your chances of being seen as a target.
I think any man born before about 1990 could tell you that. The lack of understanding comes from the attempts to teach children that men and women are exactly the same. That well intentioned approach has left a couple of generations very confused about some very basic truths like this.
It is for this reason that I encourage women to carry weapons and train with them. Even if it's just pepper spray, it's better than nothing. And like a fire extinguisher or a tourniquet, it only has to come in handy once to be worth all the trouble of keeping it around.