Because there are still “a lot of things to do” to fight against sexist harassment in public spaces and places of festivities, the Strasbourg association Say Hello Dirty Bitch (DBSP) Stop sexism, organizes its first festival “Sans oui c’est non”, around the theme of consent. While the #BalanceTonPorc movement, in the extension of the #MeToo movement, celebrates its five years of existence, the task remains great. “Insults, people who are drugged without their knowledge, assaults, moral and sexual harassment in the workplace, the fear of going home alone in the evening, lists Emanouela Todorova, president of DBSP. It is clearly still topical issues, women and men are not equal in the public space. Also, from Friday to Sunday, the association that counts 152,000 followers on Instagramoffers a rich program of round tables, conferences, speaking circles, yoga, brunches…
A festival between oneself or people concerned and already aware? “Not at all, it would not advance the cause, defends Emanouela Todorova. Our goal is to be able to educate people who do not feel fundamentally concerned by these subjects, or who are interested in them, but not necessarily on a daily basis. The goal is to reach everyone. Hence the idea of organizing a round table on deconstruction, but also of mixing concerts and culinary moments in this festival. »
An open festival for everyone
The festival, which will take place at The People Hostel, in the former tobacco factory, is intended to be open to all and encouraging. “The idea is that people bring their friends back there, that women bring their boyfriends, parents their children, who are not necessarily educated on these issues…”
The association, which usually carries out awareness-raising operations in schools, places of festivities, businesses, produces podcasts, has published a book, also intends to reach an audience well beyond the festival. “We are going to make video recordings of all the round tables. They will be broadcast on our YouTube channel [en cours de construction] to reach a wider audience. The idea is to go further,” says Emanouela Todorova.
Attracting attention, arousing questioning, reflection and opening discussions, this is indeed the common thread of the association and of this festival. Like the “harcèlometer”, often presented by the association in the form of an informative kakemono at the entrance to the places of festivities, night establishments. “People, often mixed groups, who read it, discuss it, ask themselves questions to find out if such and such behavior is really abused? Victims who speak, women who recount their experiences, it opens the discussion. Some situations described on the harassometer may seem naive but not necessarily for some people, underlines the creator of DBSP. It is also useful for people who have trivialized certain things and that they suffer on a daily basis, saying to themselves “I won’t change anything, that’s how it is”. »
Discussions “also useful for people who may have had problematic behavior and who, by reading the harcèlometer or by talking, realize that they cannot do certain things, which are nevertheless trivialized by our society, the media, the education. Our goal is to recreate the consent discussion to re-educate people, so that everyone can enjoy the party equally. »