Project “Luisa” goes to the districts
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“Luisa”, a project against sexualized violence in nightlife, is about to be rolled out throughout Tyrol after a pilot phase in Innsbruck. The goal of the campaign is to get at least 50 percent of all nightspots on board over the next two years.
The project is part of the ten million euro equality package from the state of Tyrol. It is sponsored by the Tirol Women’s Shelter, the Innsbruck Club Commission and the “Women Against Utilization” association, among others.
A phrase that signals an emergency
The functionality of “Luisa” should be as low-threshold as possible. With the sentence “Is Luisa here?” In the event of sexual harassment, those affected can soon turn to bar operators, club operators or bouncers throughout Tyrol. After the training, the Luisa managers know what to do – for example, calling a night taxi or calling an emergency hotline. “Such projects are absolutely necessary because every third woman is affected by sexualized violence,” said Social Minister Gabriele Fischer (Greens) on Friday at a press conference in Innsbruck.
160 to 180 nightclubs
In any case, in order to prevent and counteract as much sexualized violence as possible, a nationwide rollout outside of urban areas is necessary, said Frederick Lordick from the Innsbruck Club Commission. “There are around 160 to 180 relevant companies in Tyrol, of which we want to have as many as possible in all districts,” he said. From halfway up, “Luisa is then in the arrived regions” and can function adequately, according to Lordick.
The decisive factor in this matter is that “the ability of women to act is restored using the simplest possible means,” emphasized Katharina Hölbing from the association “Women against Violence”. Then they are often in shock after sexual assault, unable to defend themselves and not “react normally”, says Hölbing. The training of the nightlife actors is therefore also understood as a reaction to the exploitation of these “positions of power” by men.
Atmosphere with “Luisa” is different
All in all, one promises not only a reaction, but also prevention, it was said in unison. “It is quite possible that perpetrators are already deterred by the existence of the project,” said Hölbing. Lordick said that simply because of the existence of “Luisa” and the associated training, the “mood in nightlife is different”. Raising awareness and addressing sexualized violence make a significant contribution to making “Nightlife in Tyrol nicer and safer,” says Lordick.