Safer Spaces Program
What if we could build a network of supportive, non-threatening environments worldwide?
What is the Safer Spaces Program?
The Safer Spaces Program is a movement to end identity-based harassment. It provides training and resources to businesses and organizations to help them create safer, more inclusive spaces.
Why is the Safer Spaces Program Important?
High Prevalence of Harassment:
90% of women worldwide report experiencing sexual harassment.
Over 70%* of Black Americans report experiencing racial discrimination or mistreatment.
Nearly 50% of transgender individuals have been harassed or sexually assaulted. Nearly half^ say at one point that they felt their life was in danger because of their race.
*KFF Poll: 7 in 10 Black Americans… ^ VAWnet: Transgender Rates of Violence)
Experiencing multiple forms of oppression, like ableism, transphobia, and racism, or sexism and Islamaphobia, results in compounded psychological stress.
This reality severely limits people with marginalized identities freedom of movement in their own communities, causes high levels of anxiety, and serves as a reminder that society considers them second-class citizens. The constant threat of violence can often prevent those who are harassed from “standing up for themselves” in the moment – whether it’s on the dance floor, mosh pit, or in line at the coffee shop.
What the Program Can Do for Your Business
Creates Supportive Environments: The program helps businesses create spaces where everyone feels safe, supported, and respected– regardless of their identity.
Consistent Response to Harassment: The program provides training on how to respond to harassment in a consistent and victim-centered way.
How Does the Safer Spaces Program Work?
Policy Review: Shawna, the program founder, works with the organization to review existing policies and ensure they are comprehensive and sensitive to the needs of marginalized groups.
Training: Your staff will participate in a Safer Spaces training session, learning how to respond to harassment complaints and create a safe environment. Training can be in-person or virtual.*
Resources and Support: After the training, organizations receive:
Quick reference sheet of safer space fundamentals
Certificate of completion
Ongoing communication with Shawna for follow-up questions and support
*Refresher or additional trainings are recommended for businesses with high turnover.
Benefits of Joining the Safer Spaces Program
Demonstrates Commitment to Inclusion: Shows your community that you do not tolerate hate or discrimination.
Empowers Your Staff: Provides your staff with the tools and knowledge to effectively address harassment.
Improves Safety: Helps create a safer and more welcoming space for everyone.
Reduces Liability: Proactive measures can help reduce the risk of harassment incidents and potential legal issues.
What people are saying
She gave a very thorough and informative explanation of street harassment and the importance of the victim being heard.
Very engaging! Entertaining. Interactive. Very informative.
Great program!
Made the material accessible and approachable. (She kept) it light while still tackling fairly heavy issues.
(She) made the presentation very relatable and relevant and participatory.
A very important issue was discussed in a really cool way – the same way we should address victims! …straight to the point and no B.S.
I’m so glad we got to be a part of this and grateful for this training.
“Safer Spaces has been instrumental in getting our venue and festival experience to a better place, and handling short-term acute issues with someone who’s crossed a line. ”
“Shawna led a session with the volunteers for our event and gave us concrete and helpful advice as to how to make our concert a safe and welcoming place for our attendees. She assisted in guiding our messaging, worked with us to create effective protocols, and identified key gaps in our planning that she then helped to find solutions for. We went into our event feeling more prepared and created a more positive experience for our attendees because of her.”
Safer Space Program Supporting Documents
About Shawna Potter
Shawna founded the Baltimore chapter of Hollaback*, a global people-powered movement to end harassment in all forms, in 2011. In March of 2013, a sister site in London shared some inspiring news with the HOLLA community. They had just formed a partnership with Fabric, a local club that was tired of hearing second-hand that women were being harassed in their venue. There are many reasons why women and LGBTQIA folks might not report street harassment to security: fear of victim-blaming, not being taken seriously, possibly experiencing more harassment from typically male staff, and frustration at interrupting their good time to report it.
By going the extra mile and partnering with Hollaback! London, and pledging to remove harassers from their venue, Fabric showed their community that they prioritize the safety and comfort of their female patrons. Upon hearing this in Baltimore, Shawna and her co-chapter leader Melanie Keller said, “Why not us?” What started as a local campaign to address gender-based violence in “third spaces” has turned into a global movement advocating for consistent, actionable, and simple policies to help any space prevent and respond to all types of identity-based harassment and violence.
After years of training varied types of spaces, locally, nationally, and internationally, Shawna wrote and published Making Spaces Safer: A Guide to Giving Harassment the Boot Wherever You Work, Play, and Gather, a guidebook for people to do the work on their own when an official training is not possible. (Available in both English and Spanish). It includes everything taught in the training session, addressing the most common concerns that come up. It also includes scientific research, statistics, and personal stories from real people working to create safer spaces and those who benefit from them.
For more information, including biographies of the co-creators of this program, please see the Frequently Asked Questions document above.
*The Baltimore chapter was active 2011 to 2021. In 2022, Hollaback! changed their name to Right to Be and ended their locally-run chapter program. The London chapter has been doing great work under Good Night Out since 2014.