If you're a woman who comes home alone late at night, would you feel safer if there was a women-only subway or train carriage?
This is one of the suggestions made by groups campaigning for women to travel more safely on public transport.
Jenny Gilruth, Scotland's new transport minister, kicked off the debate on safety in public transport last week with her statement on the future of Scottish railways, which will be nationalized in April.
In his speech to the Scottish Parliament, Gilruth said that he personally felt in danger on trains.
Minister Gilruth, a former teacher, said he took special care not to take the last train to the Fife area because the carriages were "full of drunken men sitting snuggled up next to you even though there were lots of empty seats."
“I want our trains to be places where women can travel safely. "As the government, we need to identify where women feel unsafe in our public transport system and figure out how to remedy this situation," he said.
The minister also said that he would consult women and women's organizations around the country on this issue.
After this speech, the very controversial suggestion of private wagons for women in the media started to come up as one of the possible solutions.
We looked at what this means and what impact it can have.
Do we need spaces reserved for women only?
Participating in a program of BBC Radio Scotland Youtube content producer Luna Martin said that women-only wagons could offer an option to increase safety in public transport.
“I live in a rural area and there are few trains going where I live. I've traveled with groups of football fans who have made a fuss about it a few times.” says:
“I always call someone on my phone, in the other hand I hold my keys. I think it's something many women have learned to do in situations like these. We are taught from a very young age that we should accept such behavior as normal.”
Why now?
From 1 April, Scottish railways become a public service and will continue to exist as a public sector entity under the control of the Scottish government.
Transport Minister Gilruth intends for the Scottish government to use its control of the railways to ensure that mechanisms are developed to ensure safe travel conditions for women.
She describes it as a "systematic problem" that women feel insecure in public transport "because of the behavior of men".
What do women think?
Kelly Given, a women's rights activist with the Scottish Young Women's Movement, said: “I know very well what it feels like to take the train home at night. You clenched your jaw, you sit tensely, and above all you are afraid to get on the train. It's definitely an issue that needs to be resolved,” she says.
Given, she says, she is currently “anticipating” being harassed on the train because of her experiences, and that is why she does not take the train at night.
“I agree with the idea of wagons for women. If it makes a small number of women feel more secure on the train, it's worth it,” she adds.
Would trains be safer with this method?
It's hard to know in advance. The women's carriage proposal has been tried before in some countries such as Mexico, Japan and India, but it is not easy to measure whether it makes women's lives safer.
A separate space for women is something that can also be implemented for cultural reasons, but many countries have put this method to trial as a precaution against sexual harassment against women.
In a 2014 survey by the Reuters news agency, 6 percent of the 300 women from around the world said they would definitely feel safer in a women-only car.
Who opposes, for what reasons?
There are women who think that this is a step backwards, that instead of fighting and eliminating the behaviors that cause women to be unsafe in public transport, there are women who think that they "normalize" harassment of women in male and female spaces, there are academics who put these ideas into writing.
They say that reserving space puts the responsibility on women to avoid harassment, rather than forcing abusers to change their behavior.
A 2016 study by the FIA Foundation, a London-based foundation, concluded that gender segregation does not address the root cause of the problem, “unacceptable behaviour,” and “confirms the belief that women should not travel freely and receive special treatment.”
Is it applicable?
It is very difficult to implement, according to the railway workers' union RMT.
Mick Hogg, the union's organizing secretary in Scotland, said they welcome the idea of taking more action so women and everyone else can be safer on trains, adding that unacceptable behavior on trains has increased exponentially.
But Hogg noted that allocating separate wagons or trains to women would create a "logistical nightmare."
Speaking to BBC Scotland radio, Hogg said: “For this to be implemented, trains need more staff and more transport police. It cannot be done with the current means. Currently, on an average train, at best, a driver and a security officer serve 7-8 cars. But 57 percent of the trains in Scotland have only the driver on duty,” he said.
Is it likely to happen, when?
At the moment this is just an idea, but a consultation process is expected to be initiated.
Scottish Transport Authority sözcü“Right now it is too early to talk about any of the possible proposals that will be considered in a very broad national discussion, but we will look at all other good practices and listen to the various views on such initiatives,” he said.
A statement was also made by the Transport Police, the agency responsible for safety in public transport in Britain. The Transport Police stressed that they are committed to providing a consistent and supportive service to victims of sexual harassment, wherever they are and whenever they report it.(Source: BBC)
Be the first to comment