Safe streets for women #ReclaimTheseStreets #ReclaimTheNight what can be done? When I was researching my book on feminist activism & particularly Reclaim the Night marches, women often gendered public space as default male. Women would say that RtN marches 'took back' 'took over'
'reclaimed' public space in their town/city centres. So much concrete, steps, bridges etc. Likewise, when on RtN marches, hostile men watching often receive these protests in exactly the same way, as incursion, trespass, invasion, takeover. Many times I've been on RtN & heard...
hostile men bystanders shout stuff like'get in the kitchen' 'go home' 'these are our streets'. So women are not wrong in perceiving public space as default male. We will not end sexualised male violence against women overnight, but we can change this messaging by changing cities.
There is decades of work from #feminist geographers & architects, engineers, town planners etc to draw upon. Feminist work on fear of & reality of crime for women. But we should not pretend that city centres cause male violence against women, they do not, underpasses or covered..
bridges do not rape, & CCTV cannot & does not stop rape or domestic homicide. But, when we think about 'community safety' or 'public safety' we just need to remember that women are half the population, & restrict their use of public space due to threat & reality of male violence.
Women are the public. Women are the community. Being able to use the city centre, parks, public transport isn't therefore a special niche women's issue, it's an issue of basic human rights & freedoms. Women shouldn't have to be under curfew, nor manage...
...an individualised responsibility for personal safety inside a culture that portrays women as objects & eroticises violence against women. This is a societal issue. A more accessible, welcoming city centre would be better for everyone. And we all can think of practicalities.
Wider pavements for buggies/mobility scooters. Better street lighting. No underpasses. No enclosed covered bridges. Clear signage. Parks kept clear not overgrown. Footpaths kept clear. Pedestrianised areas. Public loos & changing spaces. Reliable public transport. Cycle routes.
Street road name signs kept clear. Night time economy security staff in bars/clubs trained to spot sexual harassers & sexual harassment immediate grounds for exclusion/ban. More women taxi drivers. More women security staff. Taxi drivers trained to safely question/intervene when
women or men are clearly in a state unable to consent yet being held up/walked/dumped into taxis by men. Likewise nightclub door staff who look out for this when guests are leaving. Public safety messaging which is aimed at potential perpetrators & intended to stop people from
perpetrating crimes rather than messaging/ads which tell people not to be victims, as nobody chooses or asks to be a victim - perpetrators make people victims by choosing to perpetrate violent crimes against them. Bold prevention work from Early Years upwards on consent,
inclusion, equalities, feminism, anti-racism, bodily integrity, human rights. As children get older bold & courageous sex education, includes critical thinking & media literacy, given that too many ppl think mainstream porn sites can be left by default to provide sex ed to teens.
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