The City of Adelaide is partnering with hospitality venues to launch a new pilot program to help improve women’s safety in licensed premises.
“Project Night Light” is a 12-month pilot project which aims to create a safer nightlife setting in pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants by training staff about how they can help protect their female patrons and improve safety at their venue.
On average, one woman is murdered each week by a current or former partner in Australia while recent research has found one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence and 53 percent have been subjected to sexual harassment.
Twelve city venues are participating in the trial, with staff from each establishment undergoing bystander intervention training. They will also learn how to appropriately respond when people disclose experiences of family and domestic violence or sexual assault.
Each location has already participated in a safety assessment audit, which included expert advice on how venue design and layout can help discourage violence.
“Project Night Light” is being launched today to coincide with International Day for the Elimination for Violence Against Women and Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith says this is an important program which prioritises women’s safety.
“We want our city to be a welcoming and inviting place, where everybody feels safe to have a fun night out,” said the Lord Mayor.
“We anticipate by running these training programs it will empower staff at these venues to recognise and act on the signs of disrespect to help prevent escalation to violence.
“Violence against women is preventable and these venues will demonstrate how a proactive approach can make the city and their venues the preferred choice for a night out.
“I applaud these 12 venues for signing up to this pilot program and I’m hopeful it can be expanded to more establishments in the future.”
The 12 venues participating in Project Night Light are: UniBar, Fat Controller, The Howling Owl, Leigh St Wine Room, Peel St, NOLA, The Lab on Light, Press Food & Wine, My Lover Cindi, Mismatch Brewing Co, The Olivia Hotel, Duke of Brunswick.
Kristy Sander from The Lab on Light says “we wanted to be involved to ensure we have the skills, strategies and support required to effectively implement prevention initiatives within our venue.
“We hope our staff feel confident and empowered to take action against gender inequality, harassment and discrimination wherever they go.”
Rachel Hosking from My Lover Cindi says “we felt that the values of the program around improving the safety for women to enjoy vibrant spaces of Adelaide’s nightlife aligned neatly with our own goals.
“We hope to continue to improve on aspects of our business that promote safety for women in a practical sense, but also to be equipped with the tools that will continue to enrich our venue’s culture that promotes safety for women.”
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