With the start of the summer festivals, the prevention of sexist aggressions is once again at the forefront of the agenda in Euskadi. Institutions including Emakunde, Eudel, and the three provincial councils have launched the new Beldur Barik, gau eta egun (Without fear, day and night) campaign, which advocates for women's right to move freely in public spaces, regardless of their attire, consumption, or the time of day.
This year's message highlights a reality: sexist aggressions are not limited to nighttime or nocturnal leisure spaces. "We will not tolerate sexist attitudes, neither at night nor during the day," stated Miren Elgarresta, Director of Emakunde, at the campaign's presentation. Elgarresta warned that sexist violence "is still latent in our society 24 hours a day, manifesting in its various forms: symbolic, psychological, physical violence," and argued that administrations must "take responsibility for building free and safe spaces during festivals to guarantee respect for all individuals."
The campaign is accompanied by new materials, including a guide to identify and combat aggressions in festive settings and a decalogue with recommendations on how to act in situations of violence. The Director of Emakunde acknowledged the progress made in recent years but stressed the need for continued awareness efforts. "Significant awareness advancements have been made in many localities, but we must continue to insist that nothing, neither the festival nor alcohol, justifies a sexist aggression," she said.
Last summer's festivals saw a safer environment for women, with a decrease in sexual aggressions and sexist behaviors in major festival venues. Despite the improved data, the principle of zero tolerance for violence remains the sole acceptable horizon. The assessment by the Euskal Polizia (integrating the Ertzaintza and local police forces) confirmed this downward trend. Gasteiz and Donostia led the improvement, with a 20% reduction in reported sexual aggressions and sexist behaviors compared to the previous year. In Bilbao, during the nine days of Aste Nagusia, 13 crimes against sexual freedom were recorded, a 6% decrease. Getxo registered three cases and Irun two, maintaining the same figures as the previous summer. Barakaldo, meanwhile, concluded its festivities without any such reports.
Across Euskadi, the security operation resulted in 727 arrests and investigations for sexual offenses. As stated by the Security Councilor, Bingen Zupiria, the reduction in aggressions is attributed to a combination of factors, including increased coordination between police forces, enhanced presence of uniformed and plainclothes officers, access controls at festival venues, and prevention campaigns.
In this regard, Esther Apraiz, President of Eudel, highlighted the work carried out by municipalities in collaboration with festival organizers, hospitality businesses, and feminist groups to design safer festivals, and called for the involvement of society as a whole. She urged people "not to look away" when witnessing an aggression, emphasizing that the response must be collective. "If festivals are lived 24 hours a day, so is equality," she stressed. Echoing this sentiment, Iñaki Gurtubai, Provincial Councilor for Equality in Araba, defined this summer's slogan as "a call to build safe festivals at all times, from the first event of the day to the last at night." In his view, popular celebrations should be "safe spaces for women, spaces of freedom."
