For too long nightclubs, music venues and festivals have provided men with opportunities to grope and harass women, but the state government is hoping to change that.
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The Victorian government is calling on the music industry to help form a taskforce to find ways to make Victoria's live scene safer for women, both those working in the industry and those just trying to have a good time.
Consumer Affairs Minister Jane Garrett wants to assemble a music industry taskforce to examine unwelcome attention including nightclub operators, musicians, promoters, and those who work in the venues on the front line.
Katie Pearson, a DJ and nightclub promoter, joined lobby group LISTEN to campaign for safer gigs and festivals because, as she said, she'd been harassed and even assaulted throughout her working life.
She said in one instance she was digitally penetrated by a man at a venue when she was 21. "It happened so quickly," she said. "At that age I didn't think that was rape. I now know it absolutely is rape."
Ms Pearson said venue operators and security guards needed training in how to respond to sexual harassment. The signs were often obvious, she said.
"You can see distress or annoyance on someone's face pretty easily by looking at them."
There have been reports of women suffering sexual harassment and assault at music festivals and licensed venues this year, including a woman who was ejaculated onto by a man at the St Kilda Festival.
It's not known how many sexual assaults take place at gigs, nightclubs or festivals. A study of 15,000 people in nightclubs across Australia found that only three per cent had experienced sexual assault.
But head researcher Associate Professor Peter Miller said that figure was a "massive under representation".
And observation staff who conducted the surveys had themselves experienced sexual harassment while doing their work in venues, according to Associate Professor Peter Miller.
Further preliminary data from a sample of about 150 women showed more than half had been insulted in a bar in a sexual manner.
He called for a more serious approach to sexual assault in venues and events.
"Any complaint should be recorded in the security register and reported to police," he said.
Music Victoria chief executive Patrick Donovan said it was important that female musicians had a safe working environment. He said the live music industry had shown leadership in looking after people.
"We want bigger crowds at shows and every talented musician to feel safe in that environment," he said.
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