The city of Bern now has a sexism reporting tool

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The city of Bern is stepping up its efforts to combat sexism and antiqueism. It launched a new reporting tool as part of its “Bern is watching” campaign. Anyone who experiences or observes sexist, anti-queer or sexualized harassment in public spaces should be able to report it anonymously and securely.

According to a media conference, harassment is still part of everyday life, especially for women and queer people. Action is also called for in Bern.

“Everyone should be able to move safely”

Those who are harassed rarely report it to official bodies such as the police or victim support services. The reporting tool should help to bring the large number of unreported cases to light and to further develop preventive measures. Stakeholders and observers will also find support offers and action options in the tool.

“In Bern, everyone must be able to move safely and freely,” says Mayor Alec von Graffenried (60). “Nobody should be afraid of harassment or violence.” That sounds obvious. But the reality is different, according to the city’s 2019 population survey.

Relatively more women than men indicated that they felt unsafe in public spaces at night and that they avoided certain public spaces – for example the Grosse Schanze, but also deserted places in the city center and in neighbourhoods.

Example Zurich

Von Graffenried emphasized that the “Bern is watching” campaign is something for the whole population. “Everyone should participate.” An important goal is that intimidation, silly jokes and physical violence are no longer accepted as ‘normal’.

With the tool, Bern will implement an order from the city council from October 2021. The tool is taken from the “Zurich looks” campaign and slightly modified.

Those who want to report an incident can simply click through an online form and define, among other things, the location, time and type of incident. The city uses the data for statistical purposes. According to the authorities, anonymity is guaranteed.

Referral to the police

If someone reports a possible crime, the tool automatically flags it and provides legal information and addresses for advice centers and police stations. Users can then decide whether they want to report the incident to the police.

The tool is currently only available in German. A French and an English version is in the works, it was said at the media conference. (SDA)

Source:Blick