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Citation |
Mohamed AA, Stanek D. J. Gender Based Viol. 2019; 3(1): 7-28. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2019, Centre for Gender and Violence Research, University of Bristol, Publisher Policy Press) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
While demographic and social determinants of sexual harassment have been intensively and extensively investigated, attention to the role of the spatial configuration of the built environment remains limited. With a special focus on the Greater Cairo region, this study examines the occurrence of improper touching in public streets through a comprehensive review of the literature, space syntax analysis, band analysis and field survey. The results show that incidents' locations are associated with spatially accessible street segments and that men dominate public spaces of the Cairo central business district (CBD), especially after dark. Busy routes have a dual effect: they give some sense of safety as a result of informal surveillance, people being 'eyes on the street', but may assist potential harassers to perpetrate, hide and escape swiftly. Unsafe space usually lacks a balanced and 'civilised co-presence' among inhabitants and strangers where strangers outnumber local residents. Accordingly, understanding human movement patterns and the spatial context of the most vulnerable types of urban spaces are an invaluable step to design out sexual harassment. Language: en |