Harm reduction : supporting nightlife structures since 2022

Since 2022, we have been working with an internal protocol, adapted from the first test protocol created in the context of the Nothing Without My Consent campaign back in 2022. This document, which serves as a toolkit for preventing and responding to sexual and discriminatory violence, is made of 3 sections:
an introduction defining the terms, the different types of sexist and violent behavior to be identified, and the various points of contact;
a prevention section, listing a series of measures to be put in place to prevent, as far as possible, sexual and discriminatory violence;
and a reactive section detailing the procedure to follow when dealing with a victim of sexist and/or sexual violence.

Based on this protocol, we have created a training module, including an awareness-raising section and a section on prevention and response in practice, which is adapted to the needs of the organization receiving the training. Since then, we have trained our members as well as organizations outside our network.

To ensure relevance of the training courses, Brussels By Night answers members' questions, offering personalized support and advice on preventing gender-based and sexual violence, and helped them draft their charter and/or protocol to prepare for any incidents of violence that might occur in their spaces.

In order to support members and meet their need for free and easy access to resources, Brussels By Night has provided them with a toolkit. This toolkit includes posters from campaigns run by the City and the Region, so that members can easily access them, as well as memo sheets to encourage wider adoption and assimilation of our resources by the nightlife professional community.

The last layer in the harm reduction strategy is care teams. Brussels By Night provides access to care team workers trained internally, and also encourages organisations to create their own team, which can be trained by Brussels By Night.