Heat Maps Shows Gendered Experiences Of Space And Safety

Remember “O Stree, Kal Aana”? Oh, the movie! It lives in my mind rent-free primarily because it portrays a world where men can truly understand what it feels like to be unsafe and the gendered politics of space and time. 

Sadly, that’s the genius of Chanderi, not the world where even today 85% of men report feeling safe when walking alone at night compared to 64% of women. Various feminist thinkers like Susan Hanson have extensively researched gendered experiences concerning space and mobility. Sara Ahmed, a cultural theorist and feminist scholar has explored the concept of "feminist killjoys" who disrupt normative ideas about safety and security in public spaces, particularly at night.

In a similar light, a new study by Violence and Gender revealed significant behavioural differences between men and women, highlighting the gender gaps in feeling safe. 

The research was conducted at Brigham Young University, George Washington University, and the University of Utah School of Medicine with a sample of 571 college students, 56% female and 44% male. The survey focused on walking home and safety. 

Research Findings

The researchers provided the students with 16 images depicting various locations at different times of the day. They instructed the students to imagine themselves walking alone through each picture. Subsequently, the students were asked to click on the areas of the image that drew their attention the most, resulting in the creation of a heat map.

As expected, the study showed the world still reeling with the politics of space and time, where the night isn’t young for the women. The public space and the roads aren’t for the women after a particular time of the day. The study revealed significant disparities related to gender. Male participants were inclined to concentrate on the walkways, whereas female participants tended to pay attention to the surroundings of the path, including bushes or dimly lit areas. This trend was especially noticeable during nighttime. Interestingly, even in well-lit environments, women prioritised observing the areas adjacent to the path, or who is walking behind.

The researchers commented, “Despite attempts to improve the environment, such as lighting, these findings likely represent a more systematic problem, rippling into other areas of women’s lives.”

Thus, women’s experiences of public space at night are largely a part of the dominant discourse about gender. This study further highlights the intersection of gender, space, and mobility and how women’s experiences of urban space are shaped by social norms and power dynamics.