Safer Spaces Program
What if we could build a network of supportive, non-threatening environments around the world? What if you were harassed and instead of feeling dismissed, you were taken seriously by a staff willing to deal with the harasser and offer supportive resources? What if, no matter where you went, the response to harassment was consistent and sincere? Each venue, cafe, club, collective, and business that joins the Safer Space Program will be joining folks around the world who are committed to doing their part to end identity-based harassment. And we customers can show our appreciation by attending a show, having a drink, or buying a bagel. Want to join the program? Contact Shawna to book a training now.
“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. ”
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
Approximately 90% of women worldwide have reported experiencing sexual harassment at some point in their lives. Over 70%* of Black Americans have experienced racial discrimination or mistreatment during their lifetimes – and nearly half say at one point that they felt their life was in danger because of their race. Nearly half^ of all transgender people have been harassed or sexually assaulted. 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. (* KFF Poll: 7 in 10 Black Americans… ^ VAWnet: Transgender Rates of Violence)
WHY ADOPT THIS PROGRAM?
We can make it easier for people to advocate for themselves by working to reduce harassment from occurring in the first place and by responding in consistent, victim-centered ways when it does. You have the power to make sure everyone in your space feels physically and mentally safe, supported, and respected. By joining the Safer Space Program, you show your clients, customers, attendees, and your entire community, that hateful or discriminatory behavior, actions, or language will not be tolerated in your venue/place of business. You’ll also be joining communities around the world who assert that if it’s unwanted, it’s harassment.
THE PROCESS
In the effort to create safer communities, Shawna first works with a venue (space/location/shop/group/etc) to ensure their current employee guide and security policies are comprehensive and sensitive to the specific needs of those who experience identity-based violence. A majority of staff from each venue should attend the Safer Space Program training session on how to respond to complaints of harassment and ensure everyone feels safe. Shawna can travel to your venue to conduct a training, or hold one virtually. The session can be private or held for a group of connected businesses. Every session is tailored to your group’s specific needs. After the mandatory training, each venue is given a quick reference sheet of safer space fundamentals, a certificate of completion, and unlimited future communication with Shawna for any follow-up questions or to debrief after an incident. Refresher or additional trainings are recommended for businesses with high turnover. You and your staff will learn what proactive steps to take before an incident occurs and what to do in the moment, with time for practice scenarios and Q&A.
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.
“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.”
THE BACK STORY
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 below.
*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.
Safer Space Program Supporting Documents