Vatsala Poddar Week 6

Summary – Week 6

Why loiter? Radical possibilities for gendered dissent

Shilpa Phadke, Shilpa Ranade and Sameera Khan in this essay attempt to dissect the gendered connotations of the opportunity to loiter in public spaces relying substantially on a project they worked on called the Gender & Space Project. They draw a parallel between the purpose of loitering and the fight against oppression as the right to public spaces for women is far from realised. They proceed to dive into the public spaces of Mumbai known as the big, global city which should have equal access to women. Delving into the concept of ‘tapori’, they highlight the complex intersections of caste and class hierarchy with the subordination of women. Demonstrating how public spaces especially in the nights are viewed as unsafe for women because spaces like paan shops and tea stalls are occupied by predominantly lower class men in groups who have connections with the underworld and dons and asset their dominance creating an environment that excludes women from the pleasure of these spaces as they view internalize the caste and class discrimination. The authors then showcase how purpose drives the right to loiter. Women with a mission who have children or shopping to do and have chores to complete are given this right.  However, they underpin the street walker and window shopper, the former is discounted on the account of respectability and the latter is seen as driving the consumption driven economy. Loitering without a purpose is seen as something that challenges the status quo which maintains the gender roles of women who cannot be seen enjoying public spaces for pleasure. Granting women this right would also bring women into the mainstream granting them the kind of visibility that is necessary for equality while challenging the hegemonic, patriarchal norms. The authors call for the right to public spaces as an intrinsic part of citizenship and a way to fight against the oppressive politics of segregation that pit smaller groups against each other and move towards inclusivity. The essay aims to emphasize how the right to public spaces will ensure that the city is open to everyone which will then make it accessible to women as well.

Public Spaces and Everyday Lives: Gendered Encounters in the Metro City of Kolkata

Tanusree Paul explains the gendered public spaces with a focus on the city of Kolkata. Men use public spaces to their optimum capability as a forum to exchange ideas and derive pleasure. Women, on the other hand, cannot equally access these spaces unless they can manufacture a sense of purpose, otherwise they are seen as a waste of space. The reception of female sexuality, reproductive capabilities and others have confined them to the private sphere away from the masculine city spaces. Through various studies from the Gender & Space project, the author analyses why such distinctions still prevail. The first study showed observations that men were mostly hanging out whereas women were always going somewhere. The number of women present also changed with the timings. Women can only enter these spaces when they have to use it for some domestic purpose, places like lottery and tea stalls are distinguished by the absence of women. The studies show that women avoided places filled with men typically lower class men as they were associated with unsafe feelings deriving from class and caste discrimination. The study then looks at urban spaces where women are seen equally as men in the mornings or looking after children in practices, men are seen taking over office spaces. There is also a line between unmarried and married working women, the former have a little more access to public spaces for leisure, whereas the latter are expected to return home after work. Men are seen indulging in downtime and leisure activities in courtyards and public spheres whereas women are immediately given the responsibility of the domestic sphere or seen moving quickly through the public space in order to reach certain places. These studies only help highlight the issue of unequal access for women and their inability to inhabit the city due to the social and gendered constraints imposed on them.