Safe Public Spaces: Gender, Mobility, And Active Bystanders

The session on “Safe Public Spaces: Gender, Mobility, And Active Bystanders” was organized in collaboration with Durga India, who has been instrumental in introducing panic buttons in BMTC since 2015, which was later adopted by many states across the country. The objective of the session was to orient CSO partners on active bystander behaviour and equip them with the knowledge to design interventions that promote bystander action and response in their communities.

Durga India had collaborated with both government and private organizations to raise awareness on women’s safety and access to equitable space through “Theatre of the Oppressed (TO).” The interactive engagement explored the intersection of gender and mobility by examining how safety concerns impact freedom of movement. The goal was to equip participants with practical strategies to create safer public spaces, recognising and responding to prevent harassment and violence in public spaces and on public transport.

Stakeholders included 40 participants from 25 CSOs working on women, children, gender and sexual minorities, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. The active engagement emerging from these sessions helped build advocates for gender-inclusive planning and implementation at all levels in the city.