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Young women’s perceptions on safety in public spaces of Mumbai: negotiating the risk of sexual harassment and challenging patriarchy by transcending victimhood

Vänskä, Anni-Elina (2019) CÖSM40
Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University
Abstract
This thesis draws on ten in-depth interviews in order to analyze young and educated, middle-class women’s perceptions on public safety in Mumbai, regarding the risk of sexual harassment. It focuses on the ways these women negotiate with risk and the patriarchal norms of women’s appropriate behavior in public spaces, further, examines how these women address their oppression and act in order to empower themselves and other women.
The analysis was performed with the Interpretative Phenomenological Approach. The findings were discussed relying on three key notions: the power dynamics of the public space, the asymmetrical socialization of gender roles contributing to women’s differential treatment within the Indian society, and the discourse... (More)
This thesis draws on ten in-depth interviews in order to analyze young and educated, middle-class women’s perceptions on public safety in Mumbai, regarding the risk of sexual harassment. It focuses on the ways these women negotiate with risk and the patriarchal norms of women’s appropriate behavior in public spaces, further, examines how these women address their oppression and act in order to empower themselves and other women.
The analysis was performed with the Interpretative Phenomenological Approach. The findings were discussed relying on three key notions: the power dynamics of the public space, the asymmetrical socialization of gender roles contributing to women’s differential treatment within the Indian society, and the discourse of public safety, that centers on sexual safety and posits women as ‘vulnerable victims of attack’.
My findings support previous research done on women’s access to public space in the patriarchal society of India. The findings emphasize, that women in Mumbai still lack an uncontested access to public spaces, despite Mumbai’s popular image of the ‘safest city in India’. Altogether, this study highlights that in order for women to feel an equal level of claim and comfort in public spaces in India, there is a need for a complete top-down and grassroots transformation in order to eradicate the misogynistic mindsets from the state institutions and the society, including the core family. (Less)
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author
Vänskä, Anni-Elina
supervisor
organization
course
CÖSM40
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
sexual violence, street harassment, Mumbai, public safety, patriarchy, gender roles, India
language
English
id
8989379
date added to LUP
2019-07-01 15:24:27
date last changed
2019-07-01 15:24:27
@misc{8989379,
  abstract     = {{This thesis draws on ten in-depth interviews in order to analyze young and educated, middle-class women’s perceptions on public safety in Mumbai, regarding the risk of sexual harassment. It focuses on the ways these women negotiate with risk and the patriarchal norms of women’s appropriate behavior in public spaces, further, examines how these women address their oppression and act in order to empower themselves and other women.
The analysis was performed with the Interpretative Phenomenological Approach. The findings were discussed relying on three key notions: the power dynamics of the public space, the asymmetrical socialization of gender roles contributing to women’s differential treatment within the Indian society, and the discourse of public safety, that centers on sexual safety and posits women as ‘vulnerable victims of attack’.
My findings support previous research done on women’s access to public space in the patriarchal society of India. The findings emphasize, that women in Mumbai still lack an uncontested access to public spaces, despite Mumbai’s popular image of the ‘safest city in India’. Altogether, this study highlights that in order for women to feel an equal level of claim and comfort in public spaces in India, there is a need for a complete top-down and grassroots transformation in order to eradicate the misogynistic mindsets from the state institutions and the society, including the core family.}},
  author       = {{Vänskä, Anni-Elina}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Young women’s perceptions on safety in public spaces of Mumbai: negotiating the risk of sexual harassment and challenging patriarchy by transcending victimhood}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}