Summer is just around the corner, and we all know what that means — festival season! As excited as we are to get out into nature, enjoy the warmer weather and celebrate with friends, we have to remember that these events are for ALL of us to enjoy.
Unfortunately, festivals are not always safe spaces for women or members of other vulnerable groups. Increasingly, we are hearing of incidents at festivals that need to be avoided. It is our personal responsibility to consider ways in which our behaviour may impact on the enjoyment of others and moderate ourselves to limit the risk of harm to others.
Link to document: http://www.usersnews.com.au/home/2019/12/19/how-we-can-we-make-festivals-safer-for-women-irene-squires
Music festivals have been getting a bad reputation lately, with media attention focusing on a small number of unfortunate incidents including drug overdoses, sexual assaults, domestic violence and deaths. However, this simply highlights the importance of harm reduction, and provides an opportunity for us to redefine how our community is perceived.
The most effective way we can push back against the negative stereotypes some people hold about the doof and festival scenes is by setting a positive example! Music festivals can be safe, transformative, and enjoyable for all — but only if we make them so. Here are the top three ways in which we can reduce instances of sexual based harm, facilitate safe spaces for women at music festivals, and develop a community we are all proud of.
