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General Overview

Type of stakeholder

EICS Framework

Region of Reference

Africa
Asia
Australia
Europe
North-America
South-America
World

Description

Safe spaces can be described as a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm. Safe spaces are areas where marginalised people, such as women or members of the LGBT community, can go when they are feeling uncomfortable or distressed.

These spaces are important in the public transport space, as marginalised groups are the main victims of sexual harassment and assault and are often fearful when using public transport. These spaces can take the form of a panic room or marked space at public transport station/infrastructure, or women and children only train carriages, buses, or taxis.

Facts/Illustrations/Case studies

Safe spaces have been used by the LGBTQI+ community for a while. The figure above shows an inverted pink triangle surrounded by a green circle, as used to symbolize alliance with gay rights and spaces free from homophobia. [10] The term safe space refers to places created for marginalized individuals to come together to communicate regarding their experiences with marginalization, most commonly located on university campuses in the western world, [11] but also at workplaces, as in the case of Nokia. [12]
Fear of sexual harassment and violence in the public space is pervasive for women worldwide. In a survey of women in 22 countries, over 50% reported being physically harassed in public and over 70% reported being followed. Most women report fearing that street harassment would escalate into violence. These experiences impose direct costs on victims. They also impose indirect costs on all women who experience fear of harassment and violence or take steps to reduce their exposure. Some policies aim to help women reduce exposure and avoid harassment, such as gender-segregated “safe spaces”. [1]

Types of Impact

To/from the stop/station/rank✕
Waiting for train/bus/paratransit✓
In the vehicle✕
At interchanges✓

This intervention would impact the commuters at transport stations/interchanges.

Day-time travel✓
Night-time travel✓
Peak-time travel✓
Off peak-time travel✓

All travel time categories could be positively impacted by this intervention.

Bus✓
Train✓
Rideshare✓
4 wheelers informal✓
3 wheelers informal✓
2 wheelers informal✓
Cycling✕
Walking✕

Apart from cycling and walking, all other modes of transport may be impacted by this intervention, with more traditional/established/fixed mode types benefiting the most.

Girls✓
Boys✓
Adult Women✓
Men✓
Elderly Women✓
LGBTQI+✓

All public transport users will be positively impacted by this intervention.

Resources

Monetary Resource Requirements
Both the capital costs and operational costs for this intervention are low. Capital costs consist of the buying and/or conversion of existing services to better suit gender-specific needs, as well as the supporting infrastructures, whereas operational costs consist of the managerial and maintenance costs. Cost is dependent on the scale of implementation: the greater the scale of implementation, the higher the costs.
Capital Cost Requirements Operational Cost Requirements
Non-Monetary Resource Requirements
Low to moderate skills are required to implement this intervention, as existing infrastructures and templates are easily adjusted and modified to serve the specific needs. In addition, it requires minimal time or political will to implement.
Skills Time Political Will

SWOT Analysis

Quick to be implemented
Perceived to be effective
Relatively low skills required
Scalable to suit budget and need for the resource
It is easy to disseminate, encourage widespread use

As soon as implementation stops, the benefits stop
Not effective in parts of the transport system where the intervention is not physically present

Improve safety at public transport stations and inside mode of transport.

May further add stigma to the costs of harassment.
Label women outside these bounds as provocative and shift responsibility for harassment to the victim.

Effectiveness

Literature sources indicate this to be an effective measure in improving public safety, with numerous studies reaching the same conclusion with regard to its effectiveness. The effectiveness of the measure is considered high [2-7,10-11]. A primary threat to the intervention is labelling women outside the safe space bounds as provocative and shifting responsibility for harassment to the victim, which may further add stigma to the costs of harassment in public transport.

Perception by (female) passengers
Perception by governing bodies
Level of confidence in these ratings

Implementation

Implementation of this intervention can happen quickly and be ramped up over time, depending on the available funds or demand. The benefits ensue immediately upon implementation, once maintenance and associated services cease, the corresponding benefits are foregone.

Implementation timeframe

0-1 year✓
1-3 years✓
>3 years✕

Timeframe to realise benefits

0-1 year✓
1-3 years✓
>3 years✕

Scale of Implementation

This intervention can be implemented at a local or city level.

National

Regional

City

Station or
Suburb

Ease of Implementation

This intervention is quite easy to implement, as it does not necessarily require highly skilled personnel or substantial infrastructure changes but relies on the collaboration of several stakeholders to be realized fully.

List of References

Africa

1. Keller, M. (2018). PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND SAFETY SYMPOSIUM 26 JUNE 2018 CAPE TOWN INTRODUCTION.

2. Vanderschuren, M. J. W. A., Phayane, S. R., & Gwynne-Evans, A. J. (2019). Perceptions of Gender, Mobility, and Personal Safety: South Africa Moving Forward. Transportation Research Record.

3. Vanderschuren, M. J. W. A. (2016). SAFE AND SOUND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ON WOMEN’S PERSONAL SAFETY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT..

Australia

4. Kennedy, D. (David), & Land Transport NZ. (2008). Personal security in public transport travel in New Zealand: problems, issues & solutions. Land Transport New Zealand.

5. Gardner, N., Cui, J., & Coiacetto, E. (2017). Harassment on public transport and its impacts on women’s travel behaviour. Australian Planner, 54(1), 8–15.

Europe

6. Gekoski, A., Gray, J. M., Horvath, M. A. H., Edwards, S., Emirali, A., & Adler, J. R. (2015). “What Works” in Reducing Sexual Harassment and Sexual Offences on Public Transport Nationally and Internationally: A Rapid Evidence Assessment Acknowledgements London: British Transport Police and Department for Transport.

North America

7. Nicole Christine Raeburn (2004). Changing Corporate America from Inside Out: Lesbian and Gay Workplace Rights. University of Minnesota Press. p. 209. ISBN 978-0-8166-3998-4.

8. Amenabar, Teddy (19 May 2016). "The New Vocabulary of Protest". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 July 2016.

9. Positive Space. "The Positive Space Campaign". The University of British Columbia. Retrieved 18 June 2011.

South America

10. Kondylis, F., Legovini, A., Vyborny, K., Zwager, A., & Andrade, L. (2019). Demand for “Safe Spaces”: Avoiding Harassment and Stigma Innovating in crowdsourcing information on harassment and social norms.

World

11. Brady, M. (2005). Creating Safe Spaces and Building Social Assets for Young Women in the Developing World: A New Role for Sports.

12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_space

SHE CAN Tool