SHE-CAN tool
Helping cities to effectively respond to violence against women
Embracing the needs of women to improve safety and security
Studies consistently show that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Harassment (SH) are widespread issues in both the developed and developing regions.
An international (Elsherif and Belding, 2015) study found that 95% of Argentinian women report experiencing harassment for the first time before age of 17, with more than 75% avoiding specific geographical areas due to the risk of harassment. In Germany, 66% of women report incidents of groping or fondling, while four out of five say that they change their route to avoid harassment. Similarly, in South Africa, four out of five women change their clothing choices because of harassment, and 72% report being followed by one or more men. In India, nearly half of women report that someone has exposed themselves to them in public space, and 80% report being unwilling to go out at night due to fear of harassment. In the US, 72% of women report changing their mode of transport because of harassment, and 85% experience street harassment for the first time before the age of 17. (Elsherif and Belding, 2015).
To address GBV and SH in public spaces, including transport systems, design and management strategies must shift from an assumed gender-neutral stance to one that actively considers the needs of women, children, and other vulnerable groups. The SHE CAN tool, developed from findings of the EMPOWER project, which investigated sexual harassment on public transport in Africa. This tool was designed to help cities tackle sexual harassment and it provides recommendations to improve safety and security in urban transport, benefiting women and, ultimately, all citizens.
95%
of Argentinian women experience harassment before age 17
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85%
of American women experience harassment before age 17
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80%
of Indian women are unwilling to go out at night due to fear of harassment
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72%
of South African women report being followed by men
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66%
of German women report incidents of groping or fondling
The Safe Systems Approach
There are many ways in which personal security for women and other population groups can be improved. At a user level, education, training and campaigns are an important measure. Various infrastructure measures are possible on roads, often with the aim to reduce speeds. Enforcement also assists in reducing speeds, while vehicles improvements are also possible, for example avoiding tinted windows.
In case victims require post-event care, various management and counselling opportunities exist.
