I can't help but think that this is going to create problems for naturist walkers on RSPB land.
The safety of women on our reserves
Wednesday 17 March 2021
Without exception, everyone should feel and be safe on our reserves and out in the wider countryside – that includes our staff, volunteers and visitors.
We’ve been reading the disturbing experiences shared on social media over the last few days by women taking part in birdwatching and other outdoor activities. Without exception, everyone should feel and be safe on our reserves and out in the wider countryside – that includes our staff, volunteers and visitors.
We try to make our special places as safe as possible for everyone to enjoy and are considering what extra measures we can put in place to make them even safer. We want everyone to be able to relax and enjoy the massive benefits that come from connecting with and being out in nature – it’s fundamental to what we stand for and we will do our very best to make sure this happens.
The following thoughts are from our Global Conservation Director, Martin Harper.
Being a good man
I have been horrified by the events of the past ten days. The murder of Sarah Everard sparked outrage but also acted as a trigger for many women to share their stories of how they have been harassed or worse, including when watching wildlife in the countryside.
Some of these stories have been told by friends and colleagues. What I have heard has been very upsetting. But I also felt a sense of shame for not knowing or for not even thinking about these issues.
It is made worse by the stark conversation I had with my thirteen year old daughter who reports that her friends often talk about what self-defence tactics they should use if they find themselves in a vulnerable situation.
Some may say that it has always been like this. But THIS cannot be right.
As a man, I rarely think about my own safety even when out on my own. In fact, one of my great joys in life is walking or birding in the countryside on my own. I don’t feel on edge about who I meet on a path or a hide. I don’t worry about what people might say and I certainly don’t expect anyone to give me much attention.
But that clearly is not how many others feel and behave. Marina Hyde referred to “the nothing women” to describe the day-to-day harassment that is nearly accepted as part of the deal of simply being a woman. It serves as a shocking reminder of how far we have to go on gender equality.
Black Lives Matter last year was a wake up call for many, including the RSPB, to be more proactive about race and so must events this month be a wake up call to ensure we, including the RSPB, are more proactive to ensure everyone – staff, volunteers and visitors – is welcomed and feels safe in the countryside.
I say proactive, because it is not good enough simply to say I am not racist, sexist or harass people. It is not good enough simply to say, I am a good man. We have to be actively anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-intolerance in any of its many forms.
The RSPB clearly prioritises the health and safety of all its staff, volunteers and visitors. We have excellent people and systems. And through regular reporting and review, we nurture a good learning culture to help us improve.
But, this week has demonstrated that incidents do occur even if not reported at the time and many woman still don’t feel safe to go out on their own to go birding or wildlife-watching. This cannot be right. And this means, we need to do more. The RSPB will therefore reflect on what else it can do to make everyone feel safe, especially women. But, as many others have said this week, “we” must also mean we blokes, particularly those of us that are lucky enough to work for a nature conservation organisation including those in leadership roles.
We should call out bad behaviour or language that is demeaning or threatening to women.
If something does happen, we should show support to a woman, check she’s ok, and intervene if a situation looks odd or someone looks scared or uncomfortable.
We should keep our distance to give women space and be aware of entering a space with a lone woman, or following a woman into an enclosed space like a hide.
We should not block routes including narrow paths.
We should signal our presence when we can rather than appearing out of nowhere
We should not stare at women.
We should offer to walk with female friends.
These are simple things, but they require thought and require us to be proactive and adapt our behaviour. It’s what being a good man means.
Last Updated: Wednesday 17 March 2021
At least the piece does not seem to mention nudity at all (unless I missed something).
JOhn
Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.
George Bernard Shaw, Maxims for Revolutionaries
How is it related to naturists? I believe that, statistically, naturist men harass women less than textiles.
I'm not sure how much meaning we should lend to these press releases, whatever the organisation there's an element of brand protection to this stuff, and words are so easy, action a different matter.
There probably is a discussion to be had about how male nude walkers may need to take greater consideration of the vulnerability lone women can feel, although much the same could be said for clothed walkers too.
They would not dare mention it in the context or their article as they already know that could land them in court if they did. They have very carefully worded it.
They don't need to mention it, there are people who will see a naked person and interpret it for themselves. It already happens, I believe this will just make it worse.
I walk on an RSPB reserve regularly and so do other lone naturists. There was an incident with one of those men complaining on behalf of unknown women while I was walking with another naturist just this last week
So much for equality. Looks to me that some are more equal than others.
I would have thought it is the naturist that should feel more vulnerable given their state of undress.
Should a lone women, of which I meet a few, feel threatened by alone male approaching in my thinking a naked one has nothing to hide in comparison to a fully clothed one.
I try my best to avoid people and especially women, unless I have met and spoken with them previously.
As Gildo points out this could become an issue, I walk most days, alone and naked.
@sussex-nudists I would expect that to be the case. People are more used to coming across naked people on beaches and there are usually a few of them at any time.
@dgildoo While I can understand where you're coming from in your initial post, hopefully, the key to this is in the opening sentence of the article:
Without exception, everyone should feel and be safe on our reserves...
and that the RSPB will take a properly balanced view. In my opinion, that feeling of safety on their reserves should extend as much to naturists as it does to anyone else. I know you have received verbal abuse in the past and that it tends to be from men accompanying women rather than from women themselves whether alone or with others.
Given that the RSPB, "will therefore reflect on what else it can do to make everyone feel safe..." whilst I appreciate that there is little they can do around the wide expanses of Budby Common, it may nevertheless be advisable to routinely report any future abuse to the warden with whom I know you have good relations. That way, if there are reports made to the RSPB of naked people 'harassing' or thought likely to be harassing women, it will at least even up the playing field as it were.
I'm sure your main concern is that upon receiving a number of such complaints the RSPB could make it a condition of entry to their premises that clothes are worn, thereby effectively banning you and other naturists. Hopefully, by being proactive in that regard, the prospects of a ban or other action can be reduced or preferably eliminated.
Whilst out today I came across three men hiding amongst the undergrowth. I assume they were bird watches but I didn't see them until I was on top of them.
Now if I were a loan female I would have found this more un nerving than seeing a loan male walking naked. It un nerved me a little at first until I realised what they were doing, if in fact they were bird watching.
I always find this behaviour a little strange but who am I to say?
@simon1000 I do hope they mean what you say and I have thought about doing what you suggested, However providing a weight of evidence that by being naked others are reacting aggressively could have the opposite effect to the one we would like. As they are responsible to some extent for the safety of people on the site they may try to ban us for our own safety to protect their backs. I think it is better to inform the police of any aggressive behaviour. I have done it more than once before and they reacted favourably gave me a police number and tried to find the aggressor. It is not the job of the RSPB to enforce the law and I don't want to give them ammunition they may try to shoot us with.
Feeling unsafe does not mean that one is actually unsafe. The fact is that men are at far greater risk of all forms of violent assault than women, yet the fear of attack is inversely proportional.
While that's true, it doesn't help women who feel unsafe or vulnerable while alone in secluded areas, or make accessing nature more comfortable for them. If there are ways men can behave a little more mindfully toward how some women feel in those situations - i.e. giving them plenty of space, perhaps find ways to prevent the impression of following them - then it really isn't too much to ask.
The overall fear of crime and how it gets drummed up by our hyperventilating news media is another matter entirely, and not really something we can personally do anything about. We can just find simple ways to ensure we behave in non-threatening ways as men and as naturists.
Beyond that, as a naturist walker it strikes me there are many, many places I would never dare walk naked because I know it would lead to trouble and put me at some risk. Apparently a lot of women feel the same way about certain parts of our towns, cities, and secluded areas in nature, except for them it's all the time and whether they're wearing clothes or not. Society being what it is, men are effectively barred from going to these places naked, meanwhile many women feel barred from going alone to them entirely.
