Action Aletta: ‘Feeling safe is a basic need’

There were some high-profile guests at the Erasmus Sport building on Tuesday evening. The mayor, the minister for housing and spatial planning and the chair of the Executive Board talked with more than fifty Rotterdam students and other attendees about women’s freedom and safety.

“What will you do differently tomorrow?” Nizar el Manouzi, presenter on Het Klokhuis and facilitator of the discussion, asks those present towards the end of the evening. “Take more responsibility for protecting women’s safety and report unsafe situations”, someone in the audience replies.

Before this, the audience had been given more than an hour to come up with practical ideas in six groups to improve women’s freedom and safety. The aim of the evening was to discuss what could be done better, not just the problems. The ideas that emerge will eventually be presented to the government.

Practical ways

Action Aletta, whose fifth stop this was on a tour of eighteen cities, was co-founded by Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan, the minister for housing and spatial planning. “I hope that, from now on, women’s safety really will be on the agenda every day”, she says afterwards. “In all the sessions, I see that lots of people want to do something, but often don’t know what. We need to give them practical ways to take action.”

Annelien Bredenoord, chair of the Executive Board, highlights the role of education in gender inequality. “Gender stereotypes are already present at primary school, and they persist throughout every level of education. If we get things right as an educational institution, that benefits society as a whole.” For her, safety is ‘a prerequisite for being able to study, on the street, in public spaces and at university’, and she wants to ensure that safety. The first step, in her view, is to encourage conversations with and between students, as at Action Aletta this evening.

Starting a conversation

“There was a strong emphasis on finding a solution together”, concludes Bruno, a Business Administration and Tax Law student, during the drinks reception. “That’s important, because nothing changes if you’re completely at odds with each other, like in a Twitter feud.” Bruno thinks there should be more focus on men when it comes to this subject. “Listen to women and what they have to say. Ask questions”, is his message.

“It’s important to learn from other people’s opinions”, says Annabel, who is studying to become an English teacher at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. That was one of the reasons she came to the event. “The streets and public transport are becoming less safe. That’s starting to feel almost normal, and it shouldn’t. Feeling safe is a basic need.” One solution, she thinks, is to create more opportunities to talk about this, ‘including with men’.

Jonathan, who is also studying to become an English teacher, likewise sees more open conversations as a possible solution. That is exactly why he felt it was essential to attend: “It’s important to know how women feel and what you can do to support them. We need to be there for each other.”

The future

“I hope the Netherlands becomes a country where everyone can be who they are, and simply be“, says minister Boekholt-O’Sullivan, describing her wish for the future. She hopes Action Aletta will help make that happen. “Anyone who helps is helping all women”, she says as she brings the evening to a close.

What will the audience do differently tomorrow? Speak up more often about violence against women and create a safer environment for others to speak up. “You’re going to do that differently tomorrow?” Nizar asked one of the participants. “No, tonight already.”