The Conservative Party wants to stop sexual harassment in the city with a smiley face scheme – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio

– Not a single weekend goes by without me or my employees over at a table asking if everything is okay. “Is it okay that someone has sat down with you now, are they sitting too close?” Bar manager Niclaes Norstad at the nightclub “No Stress” in Oslo has many years behind him in the nightlife industry. And know that a night out on the town is not always as pleasant for everyone. Last summer, there were figures showing that sexual harassment is common. Especially by young women and in the catering industry. And the municipality’s own inspectors have themselves said that many people are refused entry to nightclubs because of their skin colour. Despite the fact that it is illegal. Smiley faces on the door The right wants the industry to take more responsibility. Now they propose a simple solution: Smiley faces for nightlife, inspired by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s scheme. So bar guests can see which places have taken active measures against discrimination or to make the evening a little safer. – For example, a simple way to report harassment, says Høyre’s Mehmet Kaan Inan. Most of us are used to seeing such posters on the doors of restaurants. Now the Conservative Party wants a similar solution for nightclubs. Photo: VTT Studio Not easy to tell from Som on “No Stress”. At the chain’s seven pubs in Bergen, the chain has a special QR code in the menu and at the bar. When it is scanned, the person standing at the bar gets it on the till. – Like a kind of help button, says Norstad. He would like to have a similar arrangement in Oslo. – But whether that solution comes from us, or from a political party, I really care very little. Bar manager Niclaes Norstad knows that keeping track of whether some of the guests are bothering others is an important part of the job. Photo: Siv Johanne Bjørkly Seglem The most important thing is that it enables guests to speak up in a safe way. Because not everyone dares to confront the harassers directly. In the worst cases, things can go really wrong: 21-year-old Tara was simply beaten down when she confronted a man who was scratching her. – Can’t just stick something on the door Although Norstad likes the proposal from the Conservative Party, he is clear that clear demands must be made for pubs to get a smiley face. And that it must be possible to lose it again. – There must be some control around it, so that not everyone can just stick something on the door and say, “yay, look how good we are”. He receives support from Karl-Henning Svendsen. Director of Noho, which owns large nightclubs such as Kulturhuset and Elsker. Must have clear demands He praises the Conservative Party for thinking anew and wanted to do something about harassment in nightlife. But warns against creating a hasty solution without content. – It is important that it is feasible, measurable, and that the scheme does not become a resting pillow for the industry. Karl-Henning Svendsen in Noho is positive about smiley faces for nightlife, but believes there must be clear criteria at the bottom. Photo: Emrah Senel / news For those who run a business, it is easy to understand the requirements set by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority or the pub rules. But harassment and discrimination are more difficult to measure. A guest who is turned away at the door can claim that it is about racism or homophobia. An argument in the bar can end with a guest saying they were harassed. – There may be someone who simply does not like a specific person or pub, and says “I was harassed”. And suddenly you have a sour face at the door. Digital queuing system There must be some form of control with the scheme, Høyre’s Inan acknowledges. – It should be difficult to get this smiley face, you actually have to make a little effort, but it should also be easy to lose it. Høyre’s Mehmet Kaan Inan wants the smiley face scheme to make it easier for guests to see which places take the fight against harassment and discrimination seriously. Photo: Siv Johanne Bjørkly Seglem / news He has some ideas about things pubs can do. For example, let guests book a place in the queue for the pub digitally, to ensure that people are not discriminated against at the door. Or be inspired by the USA, where in several places you can order a specific drink to say you need help. But he does not want to list concrete requirements for pubs to get smiley faces, or concrete ways in which the scheme can be followed up. – We want the industry, in consultation with us politicians, to be given the opportunity to create this arrangement themselves. Could become an election campaign issue Inan will now put forward proposals in the city council. And the smiley face can also become an election campaign issue for the Conservative Party, says the party’s mayoral candidate Anne Lindboe. Who believes that the arrangement must mean something: – If guests harass other guests or those who work there, then it’s a shame, quite simply. Anne Lindboe believes that a smiley face scheme can contribute to security for both employees in the nightlife and guests. Photo: Siv Johanne Bjørkly Seglem / news



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