FILE: A rock climber climbs Smith Rock on May 16, 2020. A 2018 survey found that 47% of women and 16% of men who responded faced unwanted behavior or harassment while climbing. Respect Outside co-founder Gina McClard says that the remote locations for many outdoor sports pose an increase risk factor for sexual harassment.
Stephani Gordon / OPB
It is no secret that outdoor recreation in Oregon is massive.
According to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, the industry generates $7.5 billion and more than 70,000 jobs in the state. But the dangers for some of these workers go beyond just the natural elements.
As covered in the New York Times, women are reporting more abuse and sexual harassment in climbing.
Respect Outside is a consultancy group that was founded in 2019 and aims to make outdoor spaces more safe and inclusive. They do this by providing training, policies and procedures for the outdoor industry.
Gina McClard and Jim Miller founded Respect Outside to provide sexual harassment prevention trainings in the outdoor industry.
Courtesy of Jim Miller
Gina McClard, one of the co-founders, said that what makes the outdoors more dangerous is the lengthy period of time people can spend in remote locations during expeditions or other trips.
“People who work in the outdoor industry often go off with perhaps only one other colleague and then a bunch of clients, out in the woods or out on the river,” McClard said. “Working in an isolated workspace is very, very much an increased risk factor for sexual harassment.”
In 2018, a survey of over 5,000 climbers found that 47% of women and 16% of men faced harassment or unwanted behavior while climbing.
Jim Miller, fellow co-founder, says that often in outdoor recreation, there tends to be more of a focus on physical safety. He notes that many outfitters have plans and guides that go over topics such as first aid and wilderness first responders, but lack information on internal bias, unwelcomed behavior and harassment.
“There’s a dearth of knowledge or information or training around the psychological safety of, not just coworkers but, the participants on the trip as well,” Miller said.
To McClard, the outdoor industry still has a “go big or go home” attitude, one that is not welcoming to those who don’t conform to the culture. She feels this creates both an inclusivity and belonging issue in the outdoor industry. But she is hopeful that conversations and progress being made through their work can make the great outdoors welcoming to all.
“Safety is all encompassing. We have to make sure everyone’s safe in all aspects of their lives,” McClard said.
Gina McClard and Jim Miller joined OPB’s “Think Out Loud” to discuss safety in the outdoors. You can listen to the full conversation here: