Fairs and other folk festivals are a red rag for many women: drunken men, stupid sayings and cases of sexual harassment make the mass events a no-go for many.
The Bremen Jusos are now making a proposal that many women have been waiting for: The SPD-Young talent in the Hanseatic city is thinking regarding offering men-free days at the local festivals Osterwiese and Freimarkt.
Because women report sexual assaults at these festivals every year and almost every visitor knows annoying sayings and comments, they want to do more to protect women.
The Vice Country Manager Lara Gerecke explained: “In particular, women and queer people must be able to participate in the Easter meadow without fear of becoming victims of sexual harassment.” Men-free times or days are nothing new, they also exist at concerts, in saunas or swimming pools. As a test, one day each should be held on the Osterwiese and Freimarkt without male visitors this year.
Juso head of state Sebastian Schmugler explains: “In the end, the organizers, showmen and law enforcement officers have to organize a safe party – we insist that protection once morest sexualized violence, verbal and physical, plays a greater role.”
The showmen, for their part, point out that a lot is already being done to protect women at the festivals. There is the code word “Is Luisa there?”, With which harassed women in restaurants and rides might ask for help, said Rudolf Robrahn, chairman of the Bremen Showmen’s Association.
Since last year, so-called awareness teams have also been deployed at the folk festivals to help in emergency situations. “We are a family folk festival and make sure that all visitors can feel safe,” said Robrahn.
However, he does not think that excluding part of the audience is the right way. The Easter Meadow is to take place in Bremen from March 31st to April 16th, the Freimarkt from October 13th to 29th.
(dpa/cbu)
