16 days 2013: presentation by kalpana viswanath on safety audits and urban planning

Urban planning is not neutral.

Enhancing women’s right to the city is a process of

• Changing the nature of cities, the ways they are conceived, designed, planned

• Recognising the intersecting vulnerabilities faced by women - class, ethnicity, age, migrant status etc

• Understanding and addressing the violence and discrimination faced by women in public spaces

• Addressing a range of stakeholders - government, police, civil society – to build sustainable interventions

Women’s Daily Lives in the City

Public spaces need to be designed to foster gender and other forms of equity and promote people’s engagement and inclusion, especially the more vulnerable groups.

Safety perceptions are linked to women capacities to gain autonomy and appropriate public spaces. Some of the spatial factors that influence safety perceptions are: visibility, clear and alternative routes, variety of uses and activities, and the presence of diverse groups of people

The availability of public transportation and the types of spaces that support mobility are critical factors that determine our quality of life. The city should offer a wide variety of options, with priority given to pedestrian options within a mixed-use urban fabric. Public transportation should also respond to diverse schedules and needs.

Public participation is essential to understand and give visibility to what happens in certain spaces, to document community knowledge about the place, and in particular, to capture the daily experience of women. We understand participation as an interdisciplinary and mainstreaming process,

Policing &Legal Framework, Support to

victims

Improved response of police Work with community based

mechanisms of justice Advocacy on law reforms

Gender inclusive urban design and infrastructure and delivery of services

Such as parks, toilets, bus

stops, streets, markets, public transport

Supporting community initiatives

Anti VAW campaigns

Women and youth collectives Working with schools and university

Addressing intersection of vulnerabilities

Generating knowledge and evidence

Women's safety audits

Research studies FGD’s

Monitoring and Evaluation

Components of safety strategy

Strategic areas of intervention

1. Urban planning and design of public spaces

2. Provision and maintenance of public infrastructure and services

3. Public transport

4. Policing

5. Legislation, justice & support to victims

6. Civic awareness and partnership-building

7. Education

Baseline Study: Delhi

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Harassment occurs during day and night and in all kinds of public spaces, both secluded and crowded

School and college girl students in the 15-19 age-group are most vulnerable

Public transport, buses and roadsides reported as most vulnerable spaces

Poor infrastructure also seen among the major reasons behind the lack of safety

Almost 2 out of every 3 women, including girls reported facing incidents of sexual harassment (SH) between 2-5 times in the past year (i.e. 2009)

Almost 9 out of 10 respondents witnessed SH incidents - and 70% men, 55% women preferred not to intervene/get involved

Around 68 % women/girls reported that they did react to harassment in some form, confiding in family/friends, shouting back, breaking the silence..

However, less than 1% approached the police

Salient Findings

Safety Audits

Young Women conducting safety audits

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Safetipin: a mobile app for collecting data on safety

Safetipin

Men’s urinal near railway station

Road near Delhi Gate

At Badarpur Metro Station at 8 pm

Mehrauli Bus Terminal

State of Pavements

Bus Stop after Dark

WHAT MAKES THE AREA UNSAFE?

450mm High Footpath

750mm High market street

Obstruction by Parking Obstruction by Toilet

Working with the Delhi Transport Corporation

‘Training 40, 000 work force through 47 instructors’

Module on women’s safety in curriculum

Safety in Transport

Women’s compartment in Delhi Metro

Barcelona

THANK YOU