It’s deplorable events like these that are becoming more and more apparent: “What unfortunately happened at the weekend: Before the game, a stranger grabs my butt without comment. After the game, someone walks by and grabs my shirt. Where do we live? actually that people still think something like that would be okay?” Sarah wrote on the social network “Twitter” after visiting the stadium. She is one of the few to publicly comment on such a sexist incident.
“Of course, the topic is very shameful for the women affected,” says Andrea Frewer from the counseling center against sexualized violence in Leverkusen and cites unpleasant figures for society as a whole: “Five percent of women have already experienced sexualized violence. 60 percent have even experienced sexual harassment. ”
Code word Luisa
In the local BayArena – as in almost all stadiums in Germany, Europe and worldwide – such incidents happen again and again. “We were also sensitized to this issue,” said Bayer 04 fan representative Andreas Paffrath. There are four to five cases of sexualized violence against both women and men, against spectators, stewards or hostesses every year around the games of the Bayer pros. The number of unreported cases is also large.
After Paffrath and his colleagues from Leverkusen fan relations inquired about individual projects of other clubs such as Borussia Dortmund or Arminia Bielefeld, they decided to join an already established project in Leverkusen called “Luisa ist hier”. Until then, the aid project had mainly been active in restaurants and pubs in the city and offered an emergency call and further assistance measures.
Those affected can now use the code word “Luisa” to contact the stadium staff and receive help and support. For example, through conversations, safe retreats, or just accompanying them out of the uncomfortable situation. “We help individually,” says Paffrath. The main thing is to help the victim first. The investigation or punishment of the perpetrators are not initially in the foreground. “That only happens afterwards,” says Paffrath.
Midday: “We are just at the beginning”
“It’s remarkable that Bayer 04 have joined this project because there’s still a lot going on with this issue,” Jürgen Mittag, head of the Institute for European Sports Development and Leisure Research at the Cologne Sports University, told DW.
Only in the recent past – in the years from 2005 to 2015 – has the topic of “violence against women in stadiums” also been addressed selectively in the more comprehensive anti-racism and anti-violence studies In the course of the safe sport debate, the focus was again increased, according to the sports scientist. In addition, there is the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women” on November 25th every year, “which has recently also been taken up by sport”. , says noon.
With the “Luisa ist hier” project, Bayer 04 Leverkusen want to combat sexualised violence in the stadium
In the triad between problem, problem awareness and reactions, we were just in the stage between problem awareness and the first reactions. “There is still no talk of a comprehensive strategy, training, education and counter-reaction in this country,” says Mittag. “But the first steps in the right direction have been taken, including Bayer 04’s commitment.”
Examples are Anglo-American countries
Anglo-American countries such as the USA, Australia and Canada, which are clearly ahead of us in terms of sport, have certain role models in this area, also in view of more relevant problem cases, says Mittag.
There, the focus was more outside the stadium, in the area of the players and coaches. “There are now training courses, anonymous contact points, information campaigns and a lot more. And that then spills over to those who move in the sports-related area as fans, spectators, companions,” says Mittag. An extremely conscious and preventive approach, which would also be desirable in the local stadiums.
Back in the BayArena. There, over the past six months, all of the approximately 800 employees on a match day have been trained on “Luisa”. There will be visible information around and in the stadium in the form of stickers, leaflets, posters, badges and announcements. Whoever needs help will find it from now on. “When women know that ‘Luisa’ exists, they feel safer,” says social worker Andrea Frewer.