Page 3653 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 13 September 2017
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is a tool that enables a critical evaluation of the urban environment or, in this case, the environment where a major event will take place.
It is a tool that increases awareness of violence against vulnerable groups and helps users and decision-makers understand how men and women experience the environment in different ways. It gives legitimacy to women’s concerns and is an effective tool for building community safety. It considers both environmental and social safety.
Beyond encouraging physical environmental changes, the women’s safety audit aims to empower women to take ownership of public space and participate in local decision-making. Moreover, by focusing on women’s perspectives, it is hoped that the tool can identify how environmental factors cause insecurity for other marginalised populations which may be overlooked by mainstream professionals, many of whom are likely to be male, able bodied and middle class.
The strength of the women’s safety audit lies in its participatory process. By supporting and legitimating the use of women’s firsthand accounts and knowledge in decision-making, this tool has the unique ability to portray to key decision-makers the emotional and physical experiences of citizens whose views are often marginalised.
I note that the women’s safety audit information and suggested tool were updated on the CSD website in August this year. I therefore feel the need to express some concern that it appears that a fundamental aspect of undertaking these audits has been overlooked, that is, that they be undertaken by the very people who feel the least safe, as the information on the CSD website specifies that the assessment for events should be undertaken by the event coordinator or other specified person. Vulnerable women are the ones who are experts in their own sense of safety and this should not be overlooked.
Nevertheless, at least there is an intention to undertake an assessment of safety in relation to such issues as lighting, signage, audibility of calls for help, security-police presence, entrapment sites and more. It is through undertaking these types of audits that we can ensure that events are accessible not only to women but to all people who feel vulnerable such as people with disability, people with poor eyesight or hearing and people with prams and walking aids.
Even though some of you may feel that this is a minor consideration, in my view it is important so that we can ensure full, equal and, importantly, safe participation by all the population of Canberra and, in this context, at major events, our visitors from other places. Obviously, undertaking such safety audits will also increase the family friendliness of the events.
The major events strategy focuses on acquisition of new and exclusive events and revitalising our existing events and expanding them. It is important that they occur throughout the year so that the economic benefits of major events are sustained throughout the year, thus sustaining employment in Canberra for that time. Of course, collaboration and coordination of events and consideration of the enhancement of venues and infrastructure go hand in hand.
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