All I want for Christmas is safer streets

"All I want for Christmas is safer streets": The shared wish of Mutant, l'Oréal Paris and 'Touche Pas À Ma Pote

95% of women in Belgium feel unsafe walking in the streets.

This staggering figure is just one of the many findings of a survey conducted among 1,000 women by L'Oréal Paris and the non-profit organization 'Touche pas à ma pote'. Insults, intimidation, aggression: street harassment remains an unresolved problem in Brussels, but also in most large urban cities. To draw the attention of the general public and the authorities, and to demand concrete action, independent agency Mutant has come up with a spectacular and hard-hitting stunt.

As of today, the Rue Botanique – a dimly lit alley in central Brussels – is adorned with five enormous Christmas light garlands, each featuring motifs dedicated to street harassment against women. The installation depicts what women frequently endure when alone on the streets and voices the collective desire of all women: "All I want for Christmas is safer streets."

In recent years, due to cost-cutting measures, public lighting has been increasingly turned off, heightening the sense of insecurity for women. The only lights that are never compromised are the festive holiday decorations.

«The idea was to illuminate a street because we know it's part of the solution and simultaneously highlight the problem. Literally. With what everyone loves to admire on the streets: Christmas lights,» explains Jonathan d'Oultremont, creative at Mutant. «All our Christmas lights were designed based on the survey results. For example, we noticed that 20% of women keep their keys in hand as a potential self-defense tool, so we replaced traditional snowflake motifs with a bunch of keys.»

«The strength of these out-of-home advertisements lies in the contrast between the enchanting and comforting aspect of Christmas lights and the gravity of the problem we wanted to expose," adds Anneleen Coppens, Brand Reputation Director at Mutant. "But it was also a way to offer hope to all these women. That they can admire these Christmas lights with a deep desire to make a difference in the future.»

But the campaign doesn't end there. Beyond the awareness aspect, Stand-Up Against Street Harassment – L'Oréal Paris' CSR program – encourages everyone to take the Stand Up training, which advises women and witnesses on how to respond to street harassment situations. The free online training, which only takes 10 minutes, can be accessed on the website https://www.standup-international.com/be/fr/

In turn, 'Touche Pas À Ma Pote' also organizes group training sessions. «Street harassment remains an urgent social issue. It is time to enter a new era of solidarity where we help all women feel safe in public spaces. We have always been committed to women's empowerment, and with the Stand Up training, we are putting words into action. We work with local organizations in several countries to spread the training as widely as possible, and we are very happy to have 'Touche Pas À Ma Pote' as our Belgian partner. Together, we are working towards a world where self-esteem is a right, not an injustice," concludes Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, Global President of L'Oréal Paris.

The five Christmas lights will remain on Rue Botanique in 1210 Brussels until January 9, 2024. Feel free to come admire them, take photos, and share them on your social media with the hashtag #SaferStreets.