A Latvian NGO called Reaction has declared a war on what it calls "sex terrorism," or sex tourism. The declaration comes after the group has witnessed a disturbing rising trend of reports of women being harassed by visitors to Riga.
While the NGO is not against tourism, it's clear that the group is targeting its "war" on certain groups of tourists: young men, usually (though not always) British, who come to Riga in groups for one purpose, and we can guess it's not to see the House of Blackheads. Ever since the advent of low-cost flights to Riga, tourism in general has increased by over 50%, but the city has become a target for stag groups, and the Latvian government has largely remained silent on the issue as the groups tend to bring in a lot of cash along with their harassment. However, ordinary citizens, particularly young women of Riga, are starting to speak up and are complaining about being harassed when walking in the Old Town or in clubs. Latvian media has also been covering more and more reports of Latvian women being hassled by foreign men. One Latvian current events programme is set to begin screening a documentary series on the issue this week.
While the NGO might not be able to stop stag groups from visiting Riga, it's hoping to dissuade harassment by changing the reputations of Latvian women in Western Europe. Reaction's month-long "Stop Sex-terrorism" campaign is aimed at raising Latvian women’s awareness and self-respect, and will feature a TV advert, a theme song and a variety of public events. The organizer's goals are to dissuade young women from selling themselves for the price of a cocktail. Fortunately, we all know how well it works when organizations declare war on concepts. Obviously, drugs and terror have already been eliminated by the American government, so inevitably the Latvian NGO will succeed in its struggle to defeat sex tourism ...right? |