Public Space and Women

Abstract

The article proposes to problematize the notion of ‘public space’ by positing it in the context of access by male and female members of the society. The question of access to ‘public space’ is largely governed by the power equation that exists in the society. The patriarchal society restricts the movement of women and their access to public space and heavily curtails the freedom of women. This nonetheless handicaps the creative and enterprising activities of women who live in the shadow of fear for a number of reasons. The heavily sexualized popular culture accentuated by cultural products like films, songs, etc. breeds a kind of fear psychosis in women. No wonder while a large number of women face actual violence and atrocity, others undergo perceived threat even in their movement in public space. The article further seeks to make sense of the ‘fear’ perceived by women, and also tries to suggest possible measures that may be adopted to ensure greater safety for women. The article endeavours to shed light on the way the sexual violence against women may be understood. The issue may not be properly understood only by looking at it from the violence perpetrated against women by men, but by understanding the sexualisation of culture. The popular culture nourished by the patriarchy with its sexist ideology is largely responsible for commodification of women. The article gestures towards a more nuanced and critical understanding of ‘space’ and popular culture for better understanding of the nature of ‘fear’ perceived by women in their access to public space.