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Sexism in the city

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There is an interesting article on Women’s Enews about how urban design affects resources available to battered women. Phoenix, like many cities, is experiencing sprawl, and this is reducing the ability of abused women to access adequate resources — shelters just aren’t being built fast enough in outlying areas. (In related sprawl sexism, the Surface Transportation Archives report that women pay the highest price for sprawl in terms of commutes.)

North of the border, StatsCan reported last week that violence against women is down in Canada, though there has been an increase of abuse by boyfriends and ex-boyfriends, as well as an increase in criminal stalking of women. Sadly, Nunavut, which experiences the highest rates of domestic homicides, is losing one of its shelters due to lack of funding. In the rest of Canada, the situation may also change for the worse – the feds just cut millions to the Status of Women Canada, and the Ontario Women’s Justice Coalition, a vital Toronto resource for victims of domestic abuse, doesn’t even have enough funding to respond to emails. Further, the feds say, any funding they provide can no longer be used for advocacy or lobbying.

So… happy National Domestic Violence Awareness Month everybody! Some grassroots light at the end of the dismal fed funding tunnel appears courtesy of HollabackCanada, a Canuck offshoot of the NYC photoblog that lets everyone post on their least-favourite street harrassers. Also, a new Indian activist project called Blank Noise takes a Critical Mass-style approach of night parades to promote a lady’s right to walk city streets without being catcalled.

Photo from The Christian Science Monitor.

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5 comments

  1. It should be pointed out that not all victims of domestic violence are women, nor are all perpetrators men.

  2. FYI, it’s “Status of Women Canada”, not “Status of Women Action Committee.” Status of Women Canada is a governmental agency.

  4. Thanks to both commenters for the clarifications. One of the great things about the Hollaback project is that it allows people of all genders to post on all forms of street harrassment – transphobia and homophobia included. Thankfully, there is growing awareness of domestic abuse of women and men, both in same-sex and straight couples. Still, StatsCan notes that the vast majority of abuse cases continue to involve men battering women. Let’s see if Harper will make resources for change available to *any* gender!

  5. The Blank Noise project reminds me of another project by a political figure I really adore: Antanas Mockus, former Mayor of Bogotà¡, who devised a “Night for Women” – the city’s men were asked to stay home at night and street parties, patrolled by policewomen, were set up for the city’s women. Apparently 700,000 women went out on the first night this was set up.

    I think Mockus is amazing, a real icon in the realm of urban change on a municipal level. It’s telling that he saw it as critical to create a safe and celebratory environment for women, even if it was for a few symbolic evenings.

    If you want to read more about his other innovative policies, this article is a great read: http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/03.11/01-mockus.html

    Perhaps forward it to the Toronto mayoral candidates (!)