6.2.5. Safety

Figure 14. Average values of influencing factors (Source: Author)

The study found that perceived safety was the most influential factor while choosing a consumption space for women. On a scale of 1 to 10, average point women gave for perception of safety was 7.24, while it remained 5.63 in case of men (after location, variety of stores and affordability). New Consumption Spaces (NCSs), especially shopping malls, have developed the profile of being ‘safe’ hanging out locations (Paul, 2017). In comparison to local markets/streets, women felt safer in shopping malls and department stores. While men in both local markets and new consumption spaces never faced harassment 83.3%, 88.9% of the times respectively, and never perceived judgement 66.7%, 55.6% of the times respectively, there is a disparity between women’s experienced safety in these places. Even though only a small fraction of women (15.3% in case of local markets/streets, 6.8% in case of NCSs) agreed that the shopping spaces they visit were not safe and comfortable for women, 46.2% of women surveyed in local markets/streets, and 30.5% of women surveyed in NCSs have faced harassment at some point. Perceived safety and experienced safety for women remains better (still a worrisome figure) in case of shopping malls and department stores in comparison to local markets/streets.

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As discussed earlier, out of the 86 women surveyed across classes, occupations and places of residences, 79.3% of women reported to avoid certain parts of consumption spaces because of their gender. This is 81.48% in cases of local markets/streets and 78.33% in cases of NCSs.

6.2.6. Built-environment

● Presence of amenities (washrooms, feeding rooms, ATMs, food joints etc.), mixed variety of stores influenced women’s choice of consumption space more than men’s (See Figure 11). Parking facilities influenced men’s choice more than women’s, this is not surprising as men were said to use private vehicles more frequently than women (See Figure 12). ● Physical infrastructure- Lighting, benches, pathways (walkability)- The influence of physical infrastructure on women’s experience of consumption spaces can be inferred from the section below, where women’s choice of consumption space while they’re alone and with family is analyzed. It was found that the state of physical infrastructure had more impact on women’s experience than men’s.

Figure 11 reiterates this result. ● Openness, visual connectivity- It was observed that women avoided crowded (35.63%), isolated (57.47%), unhygienic (48.28%) spaces more than men. When 35.63% women and 20.75% men avoided crowded spaces, a contrast was seen in the case of isolated spaces. Only 9.43% of men would avoid isolated spaces was reported to be the biggest contributor to why women avoid spaces due to gender (57.47% women said they would avoid isolated spaces). It is to be noted that, comparatively, women felt safer in crowded places than in isolated places.

This was reinforced by the responses in the section below. ● To analyze the influence of built-environment and social factors on the experience of users of urban consumption space, respondents were asked to choose the most preferred option for a small snack/beverage in two situations-

(1) when they are alone, (2) when they are with family/group of friends.

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