No one would disagree that women are generally targeted by criminals and assailants more often than men.  This is not something that you just have to live with though. There are many very simple things that anyone can keep in mind to make their lives a little bit safer.

There is no such thing as a fair fight. 

When your health and well being is on the line, there is no time to worry about whether you do something fair, especially since your attacker will certainly not be worried about the rules of a fair fight.  If they were, would they be attacking you?

When you walk to your car at night, have your keys in hand. 

This is good for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, if someones comes rushing toward you, quick entry into your car is imperative in escape. Secondly, your keys can be an excellent weapon against your attacker.  A quick jab to the soft tissue ( throat, eyes, etc.) can disable your attacker long enough for an escape.  This can also be done with some make up applicators, and pens. 

Learn to throw a punch.

This may seem strange and obvious, but bear with me.  It takes just a few minutes and a little bit of practice, but it can amazingly effective.  Being a martial arts instructor myself, I can tell you that any local kickboxing class (cardio of self defense), or martial arts teacher will offer a free lesson and workout to check out the gym.  One lesson can teach you how to throw an effective puch. There is a technique to a hard puch that anyone can learn, no matter what your size, and one single hard punch to the nose will stop the vast majority of attackers in there tracks, at least momentarily.

Don't isolate yourself. 

When you are out in public, do your best to stay in plain view and around groups of people.  For example, park your car under street lights away from quiet side streets. As tempting as it can be at times to park your car in a quiet place away from the beaten path to avoid other cars, in can be an easy place for an attack to take place.

Remember the statistics.

This may seem harsh, but always remember that the people you know are far more likely to hurt you than some masked stranger you have never met. This doesn't mean to suspect every man you know, but it does give some perspective on the reality of violence.