The link between Violence Against Women in public and urban infrastructure: A case study in Corregidora, Mexico

Violence Against Women (VAW) is widespread in Mexico, with approximately 66.1% of women (30.7 million) having experienced at least one incident of VAW in their lifetime (INEGI, 2017a). Using the municipality of Corregidora, in the state of Querétaro, Mexico, as a case study, this research sought to explore the routine experiences of VAW in the public space to understand the link between public and urban infrastructure and the perpetration of this violence. A mixed methods approach was taken, which combined 272 household surveys (HHS) and 7 focus group discussions (involving 50 women). It was found that the most common type of VAW women experienced in the public sphere, as well as the most recurrent, was catcalling or hearing offensive or sexual remarks including whistling. The following 4 most common types of VAW were fear of being sexually abused, stalking, groping and public indecent exposure. Additionally, the younger women were, the more violence they seemed to experience. Heat maps were generated based on HHS data to identify areas in the urban public space where incidents of VAW took place. These maps were used to select specific high concen- tration locations to conduct structured observations and inductive visual analysis at street level to identify situational factors that might influence the perpetration of VAW in those locations. The key features identified linked to the facilitation of opportunities for the perpetration of VAW included lack of infrastructure, presence of physical obstacles, poor visibility and restricted pedestrian mobility (Garfias Royo et al., 2020). Finally, semi-structured interviews with local government agents revealed challenges to the provision of security to women in public spaces including lack of gender protocols for planning and delivering infrastructure, as well as limited collection and access to crime data. It was also found that the government assists in the creation of gated communities, resulting in a fragmented city

Violence against women in Corregidora, Mexico: the disconnect between women experiences and stakeholders' views

There is a paucity of official data on violence against women (VAW) in Mexico. Two-hundred and seventy-two household surveys and seven focus group discussions with 50 women were conducted to explore women’s experiences of VAW in public spaces in Corregidora, Mexico. Seven semi-structured interviews with stakeholders were carried out to understand their knowledge of VAW and reduction measures through infrastructure delivery and urban planning. Results showed that the most common and recurring type of VAW was catcalling, and 39 per cent of survey participants experienced at least one type of VAW. Government stakeholders appeared either unaware of the extent of VAW or were dismissive of its impact. The disconnect between women’s experiences and stakeholders’ views has implications for the design and implementation of safety measures for women

Linking the UN SDGs and African Agenda 2063: Global goals and local priorities for Africa

The UN 2030 Agenda is a global agenda which brings nations together to address global challenges for sustainable development. It is increasingly expected for bilateral and multilateral development projects and programmes in sub-Saharan Africa to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, Africa's agency in steering sustainable development priorities, notably by proposing its own development agenda and achievements’ visions such as those contained in the African Agenda 2063 (AA2063), must be better recognised. This paper aims to establish converging links between the SDGs and AA2063. The authors used a structured process to identify and ‘map’ commonalities between all SDG and AA2063 targets. This process involved reviewing 32,617 possible connections between the 169 SDG Targets and 193 Agenda 2063 Targets. Key results identified 4,434 (14%) connections and three approaches for selecting overlapping areas of action: based on strength of connections, number of connections, and a combination of both. By comparing and establishing areas of overlap between the two agendas a discussion around converging and diverging priorities is held, which can in turn inform project design and monitoring and allow development initiatives to consider how they connect with both agendas. The findings could facilitate funders, policy makers and practitioners to leverage multiple benefits through a targeted approach to address both Agendas effectively

Assessment of WASH infrastructure in schools in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia using structured observations and principal interviews

Adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene(WASH) facilities in schools are vital, especially for girls. This study addresses a gap in assessing the adequacy of WASH facilities' repair at schools affected by natural hazards. Central Sulawesi was used as a case study where principal interviews were conducted at 26 schools, and structured observations were made at 18 schools, 3 years after the earthquake in September 2018. Of the 26 principals, 10 reported no damage to the toilets from the events of September 2018. Among those who reported damage, a third felt that the fixes insufficiently met basic needs and that they did not deliver WASH services as well as they used to. Structured observations revealed that most toilets lacked soap, open water reserves were placed next to non-flush latrines, posing a high potential for vector-breeding, and there were inadequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management, including no bins. Recommendations include ensuring a supply of soaps, adding lids to water storage containers for hygiene, and providing sanitary napkins and lidded bins. It was noted that private schools provided a better level of WASH service than state schools, and state schools in more hazardous zones did not take long to recover and offer lower-quality WASH facilities

A structured review of emotional barriers to WASH provision for schoolgirls post-disaster

Pubescent girls face unique emotional barriers to returning to school after a disaster concerning water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). This paper explores themes of WASH, gender violence, the lack of dignity and sense of shame arising from inadequate WASH facilities for girls in disaster settings. We conducted a structured literature review of 126 sources to investigate the emotional constraints facing pubescent girls concerning WASH in schools in Indonesia, a region prone to frequent disasters. Findings are synthesised into four major themes: psychological experiences of WASH, challenges faced by girls in schools, barriers to inclusive WASH provision and how to create a holistic approach to WASH. Key conclusions include the need for interdisciplinary research, cross sectoral collaboration, more evidence and research in Indonesia, especially regarding menstrual hygiene management, improved toilet design to reduce the physical barriers linked to emotional barriers and inclusive design for those with disabilities.</p

Fostering Resilient Recovery in Displaced Communities via School-based Hubs WP2 shareable data

Structured interviews with school principals conducted at 26 schools on WASH management, including after the tsunami and amidst COVID19 and how schools were assisted by government and NGOsStructured observations made at 18 schools regarding their WASH situation Focus Group Discussions with students and teachers in 7 seven schools (14 total) to discussing WASH facilities and what could be done to address identified issues48 surveys with schoolgirls in 3 schools to understand their menstrual hygiene management practices and how well supported they feel in school</p

The response to violence against women and fear of violence and the coping strategies of women in Corregidora, Mexico

This paper explores women's perceptions of sources of vulnerability to Violence Against Women (VAW) in urban public spaces and their response to this violence. The urban space of Corregidora municipality in Querétaro, Mexico was used as a case study. First-hand data on different types of VAW was gathered through 7 focus group discussions held with 50 women. The Socio-Ecological Framework (SEF) was used to analyse VAW at different levels, using a Social Construction of Space lens as a supportive conceptual framework to explore women's experience of VAW in public spaces. A Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design approach was used to develop targeted recommendations at each level of the SEF. The results show that improvements in infrastructure could be a way forward to prevent VAW in public spaces, such as the provision of lighting, reducing narrow access routes, sidewalks improvement and prioritisation of pedestrian mobility, rather than leaving the burden of responsibility of personal safety and protection to women

Assessment of WASH infrastructure in schools in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia using structured observations and principal interviews

Adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools are vital, especially for girls. This study addresses a gap in assessing the adequacy of WASH facilities' repair at schools affected by natural hazards. Central Sulawesi was used as a case study where principal interviews were conducted at 26 schools, and structured observations were made at 18 schools, 3 years after the earthquake in September 2018. Ten of 26 principals reported no damage to the toilets from the events of September 2018. Among those who did, a third felt that the fixes insufficiently met basic needs and that they did not deliver WASH services as well as they used to. Not all WASH inadequacy stemmed from the earthquake. Structured observations revealed that most toilets lacked soap, open water reserves were placed next to non-flush latrines, posing a high potential for vector-breeding, and there were inadequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management, including no bins. Recommendations include ensuring a supply of soap, adding lids to water storage containers, and providing sanitary napkins and lidded bins. Observations suggested that private schools provided a better level of WASH service than state schools, and schools in more hazardous zones did not take longer to recover. HIGHLIGHTS Structured observations and interviews with school principals were used to assess WASH facilities, 3 years after the 2018 earthquake in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.; Coping mechanisms for damage to main pipelines include storing water in buckets in toilets.; State schools lagged behind private schools in WASH facilities.; Inadequate menstrual hygiene management in schools.