Her comments follow a number of attacks on women which have been reported since the murder of Ashling Murphy, including an assault on Evergreen Street in the city at the weekend.
Gardai have identified a boy in his early teens as a suspect in the attack on a woman in her 20's which occurred on Saturday night around 11.30pm.
The victim was walking home after a night out, and gardai believe she was followed for some time, before her attacker struck beating her about the face and head.
The assault only stopped when a number of passers-by came to her aid and she was rushed to CUH for treatment for her injuries.
Investigating officers are yet to make an arrest but they are following a definite line of enquiry and now believe her attacker was acting alone in a random attack.
The motive for the attack is still under investigation.
Vicky Phelan will be honored with the Freedom of Limerick tonight, in recognition of her work in unveiling the Cervical Check scandal.
She says she knows what it's like to feel afraid just because she's a woman:
"It's not enough to be telling girls to protect themselves and go off and do all these self defense classes. It's up to men. You know, at the end of the day I back everybody who says that, you know, it's men and I know it's not all men. I understand that. But unfortunately it's women who are bearing the brunt of this and women who are having having to adjust their lives. And adjust themselves constantly."
