Girls Against: Combating Sexual Assault At Gigs.
We spoke to the people behind Girls Against, a campaign that aims to combat sexual assault at gigs. They told us all about the campaign and how we can help!
1) When did the campaign ‘Girls Against’ begin and what caused you to start it?
We began in October 2015, when Hannah was sexually assaulted at a Peace gig. We were all so angered by this and the lack of discussion about the issue, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and do something!
2) You recently had your logo shown on the main stage screens at Reading Festival, you are also approaching 16k followers on Twitter, how does it feel to see so many people supporting such a worthy cause you?
It's honestly incredible, we never thought we'd receive so much support! It's so great to see an open discussion about the issue,which helps victims feel supported and ensures people are aware of its presence in the music community.
Above: The girls behind the great campaign.
3) Several artists have publicly backed the campaign such as JAWS, the 1975, Slaves and Royal Blood which is amazing. But do you believe that artists could be doing more to support the campaign?
The support of artists has been insane, but there is a limit to what they can do. It's important that artists openly condemn sexual assault at their gigs and keep the conversation alive. At the end of the day our goal is to ensure venues put policy in place to stop it. That being said, there's always more anyone can do - us included - so the more support received the better!
4) You have been in active conversation with different venues as well as security companies, how cooperative have they been with you?
It's been difficult to converse with many companies as they don't wish to tarnish their reputation, and because many don't see it as a large issue. This is a mindset we're trying to change,Securigroup have been extremely cooperative and have implemented training, but we're working our hardest to push on and spread our message as far and wide as we can!
5) After a year, the campaign is looking stronger than ever. Is there anything you have learnt along the way?
We've learnt how to balance it with our personal lives (well, we're trying!) as it can be a very stressful thing, what with school and university getting in the way! We've also learned the most important thing is to be supportive and caring - the last thing we want is for victims to feel alienated and alone, so this is a central part in our campaign.
6)You have recently created an online space in which victims at gigs can share their experiences of being assaulted at gigs. How important is it to give people the chance to share their experiences online?
It's very important, if they feel comfortable doing so, it means they can receive support and can feel much better as a result. Of course many don't wish to share theirs as it's a very personal and frightening thing, but we wish to act as a place to come to for non-judgemental support.
7) What does the future hold for ‘Girls Against’?
we have so many aims and goals for our campaign, but obviously we need to be realistic! 2018 looks bright - we're wanting to open a bigger discussion with venues and security companies about the issue as this is one of our priorities.
To find out more and support Girls Against click here.
