Gender inclusion in urban consumption spaces
● Isolated spaces- It was observed that women felt safer in crowded places than in isolated places. ● Poor walkability- A typical sight in Delhi, broken or dug up pavements, has emerged as another big risk factor, reducing the routes women can take when travelling around and making it difficult if not impossible to get away from a harasser quickly. The lack of pavement causes them to walk on the road in many places, dealing not only with fast moving traffic, but also resisting men on two wheelers and trucks who physically threaten her or even touch her and kick her. ● Poorly lit spaces- Most women felt unsafe going into public spaces alone or after dark unless they were in groups or accompanied by men. The lack of street lighting in commercial areas emerged as a major impediment to women's ability to work late. For eg. they mostly perceived car parks with dark corners/entrances/sections were perceived as unsafe. Usually attendants are present only at the entry/exit points of these spaces.
Illustration 15. At night, the dark and deserted spaces are rendered unsafe for an unaccompanied woman (Bhasu, 2017).
Inclusion of women: ● Women have less access to private or own transport and hence tend to depend largely upon public transport. Accessibility to the site through public transport systems can be advantageous in gender inclusion. Page | 78
