ASK FOR ANGELA IN SLIGO
A CAMPAIGN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE ON NIGHTS OUT IN SLIGO WAS LAUNCHED IN CITY HALL AND CIARA GALVIN WENT ALONG TO FIND OUT MORE.
EVERYONE i s entitled to f eel safe on a night out, and, with the help of a c a mpaign c a l l e d ‘ Ask f or Angela’, bars and venues across Sligo will be doing their bit to ensure this. Ask for Angela is a campaign which was started in 2016 and used by bars and other venues to keep people safe from sexual assault or uncomfortable situations. When an establishment uses the program, a person who believes themselves to be in danger can ask for ‘Angela’, a fictitious member of the staff. The staff will then help the person get home discreetly and safely by either escorting them to a different room, calling them a taxi and escorting them to it, or by asking the other party member to leave the establishment.
Launched on International Human Rights Day at City Hall in conjunction with Sligo Rape Crisis Centre and its fund-raiser Tea Party, the initiative is open to all venues in Sligo to sign up to, and in turn they will receive training in the program for staff members in the New Year.
The campaign was brought to Sligo by Caroline Forde, community based practice researcher focusing on gender based violence, and gender equality, along with social justice student JoAnne Neary and Elaine Hanson, founding member of DVAS - Domestic Violence Advocacy Service.
The launch of the campaign not only coincided with International Human Rights Day, but also, bringing to a close 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
In recent years, the voices of survivors and activists, through campaigns such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #IBelieveHer, and others, have put the spotlight on the issue of sexual violence and now with the newest campaign launch, the team behind ‘Ask for Angela’ want to make sure everyone wanting to enjoy night life in Sligo can do just that.
Speaking at the launch, Caroline Forde asked those gathered two questions.
“Do you agree that every individual has the right to enjoy a night out without encountering unwelcome comments or acts, such as being touched without consent”?
“Do you also agree that every night-time venue aims to provide an enjoyable environment for their clientele?”
After a resounding ‘Yes’, Ms Forde outlined what the reality can be for people on a night out.
“As many of you know, unwelcome comments and touching have become commonplace in night-time venues, especially for women (including transgender and non-binary individuals), whether as staff or clientele.
Ms Forde explained that the normalisation of this behaviour makes it seem acceptable.
She added that it was important to name the behaviour for what it is.
“Unwelcome comments of a sexual nature are sexual harassment and unwanted touching is sexual assault. These behaviours are therefore not only unacceptable. They are crimes. Crimes that, given our night-time culture, are difficult to challenge.”
Explaining the strategy of the campaign, Ms Forde said ‘Ask for Angela’ brings about prevention via awareness raising of unwelcome sexual behaviour and an effective response to incidents.
To date, the Ask for Angela initiative is endorsed and supported by the BID Purple Flag, Sligo County Council, the Vintners Association, SRCC, DVAS, Safe Ireland, the Samaritans and SIPTU.
Ms Forde went on to outline how the campaign will not only be of benefit to those who use it, but to all stakeholders, and Sligo itself as a tourism destination.
“As you know, Sligo is marketed as a tourist destination by the slogan ‘Sligo is Surprising’. Let’s work together to ensure that Sligo is not only known for its beauty but also its safe nighttime culture.”
She added, “The Ask for Angela initiative will thus not only benefit each participating venue. It will benefit the Sligo community and contribute to national and international work combating gender-based violence.”
CEO of BID and Purple Flag Assessor Gail McGibbon also spoke at the launch about the importance of this campaign in making Sligo an enjoyable and safe place to visit.
The Purple Flag is an award for excellence in the evening and night time economy (5pm - 5am) with Sligo securing its Purple Flag in 2015.
Ms McGibbon explained that criteria of obtaining a flag includes safety, well being and people movement.
In the most recent perception study undertaken in Sligo 68% of people said they feel safe in Sligo during the day while 59% said they feel safe at night. In comparison, a perception study taken on O’Connell St in Dublin showed just 10% to 11% of people said they felt safe.
“Ask for Angela has been rolled out in Cork, Waterford and Mullingar. It has worked very successfully, already our vintners are behind it, our evening and night time venues will get behind it, we certainly would endorse it”.
“We want everyone to have that memorable night out in Sligo. Nobody comes to Sligo thinking, ‘I’m going to have a terrible night out’. We all go out to have the best night possible and that’s what we want our town’s reputation to be.”
This initiative will help raise awareness and that’s ultimately what we should do as a community. We should look out for each other. If we can have that community engagement where we are looking out for each other, anti social behaviour decreases and everyone remembers it as a good town to visit.”
Bernie Linnane of the Sligo Rape Crisis Centre
addressed the event about the services the organisation provides.
“It has two main functions, we provide counselling and support to survivors of sexual violence and to those who support them, but we also advocate for the elimination of all forms of sexual violence.
“Through our work we hear first hand of the increase in numbers of survivors presenting to the services we offer. We know that the ‘Me Too’ movement and the ‘I Believe Her’ movement have placed this issue centre stage.
“We know that sexual violence is prevalent in all areas of our society and continues to be major problem. So, we’re happy to support any initiative that has the potential to reduce the incidents of sexual intimidation, harassment or assault. The Ask for Angela programme can help us in two ways, it can assist people in escaping situations that might be frightening, threatening or potentially dangerous, but also, crucially, it raises the awareness of the continuing prevalence of sexual violence in our society. The Rape Crisis Centre is delighted to get behind this campaign in Sligo and we would strongly encourage everybody else to do the same.”
Speaking at the launch and fund-raiser, Mayor of the Borough District of Sligo and People Before Profit Councillor Gino O’Boyle described it as an opportunity to promote the work of Sligo Rape Crisis Centre.
“Professional training lies at the core of Sligo Rape Crisis Centre, with each volunteer trained to deal with sexual violence issues. The many people who call on the service will appreciate the ethos of the centre to provide a safe, free and confidential space for survivors of sexual abuse.”
He added, “This critical contact can enable them to explore and access support to deal with legacy issues resulting in their traumatic experiences.”
The Ask for Angela campaign is to be rolled out across Sligo in the New Year and venues, pubs and clubs are encouraged to sign up to the initiative.
Ask for Angela posters have already appeared in VFI pubs in Waterford and Cork but now the aim is for the campaign to go national. To increase awareness amongst the public about Ask for Angela, a poster outlining the campaign’s message is available. Publicans can download and print a copy for display in their pubs.
Participating venues will have the Ask for Angela poster in the toilets or elsewhere in the venue, explaining what to do and how they can help. Bar staff will also have information on how to respond when someone asks for Angela. Any publican or venue owner can contact Sligo BID to get involved.
WOMEN HAVE TO BE VIGILANT GETTING INTO AN UBER, THEY HAVE TO BE VIGILANT ALL THE TIME AND I RESENT THAT. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO RAISE MY DAUGHTER TO REACH HER FULL POTENTIAL.