Feeling unsafe in public spaces takes a variety of forms all over the world. The experiences of violence prevent women’s full participation in public life, influence their sense of self and their understanding of vulnerability and have implications for women’s access to freedom of movement, education and livelihood. Addressing women’s access to public space is important not only for safety but also for equality and independence for women.
Several organisations are working to combat public violence against women, and it is critical to examine these efforts made – these micro-systems of resistance – where small changes and decentralised action have led to changes in the participation of women in public spaces. In this project, we are trying to map how long-term social change can be influenced when we consolidate and understand these micro-mechanisms across time and place, especially concentrating on the processes that have allowed social change to occur. Through this process, we hope to understand the mechanisms by which social change occurs.
For us to gain an understanding of the social problem within its social context, this study will examine the approaches of three different organisations in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana to understand and map the process of change that each of the organisations is trying to influence to address gender violence in public spaces. The three organisations are (1) Swati in Gujarat, (2) Doosra Dashak in Rajasthan, and (3) Bhumika Women’s Collective in Telangana. Swati is currently working on an implementation project that interacts with the rural governance structures, such as the Gram Panchayats, to raise and address issues of public violence in rural areas. Doosra Dashak focuses on the entire ecological environment of adolescent boys and girls and tries to enhance their participation in public spaces through technology and collectivisation. Bhumika is working with institutional actors such as the police to counsel and resolve public harassment cases in slums in Hyderabad.
