Making a Swedish festival ‘women-only’ because of sexual assaults is a cop-out

Isn’t this condoning segregation and implying that all men constitute a threat?

The organisers of Bravalla festival have cancelled next year’s event after a sharp rise in sexual assault claims (AP)

After a record number of arrests this year for rape (four) and sexual assault (23) at Bravalla, Sweden’s largest pop festival, next year’s event has been cancelled. A female radio presenter suggested eliminating men from the mix entirely – and her challenge looks like it could become a reality, with a women-only event planned for 2018.

The combination of drink, drugs and large numbers of young people can be a dangerous mix and last month the Safer Spaces at Festivals campaign persuaded 25 of the major organisers to institute a 24-hour blackout on their websites to draw attention to the problem. Their key messages are: show zero tolerance of sexual harassment; hands off unless clear consent has been given; and “don’t be a bystander”.

Outside music festivals, do women need safe spaces? Many universities offer them – but isn’t this condoning segregation and implying that all men constitute a threat?

Of course anyone who is a victim of sexual abuse and violence has every right to protection, but given that women campaigned for admittance to previously male-only golf clubs and working men’s clubs, isn’t it a bit rich to demand this new protection?

We don’t need women-only carriages on the trains or special spaces on the bus. I can just about understand women-only swimming lessons in areas where there is a high proportion of Muslim women, but ultimately men and women need to engage with each other as equals.

Punishing all men for the gross behaviour of a few seems extremely unfair. Surely the Bravalla organisers could police their event so that everyone – men and women – can enjoy themselves without feeling threatened.