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Cities without violence aganst women are safer cities for all. A clear priority has to be women's security in cities. More people now live in cities marked by strong inequalities (ghettos) that materialise in social and territorial segregation and fragmentation, both of which are conditions for urban violence. Increasing urban violence is also manifested in enhanced gender-based violence. The different expressions of gender-based violence in cities are part of a continuum: within the home and outside the home, in the neighbourhood, in the city, and in the public sphere. It has an adverse impact on women’s psyche and the quality of their lives.It restricts their development, mobility and autonomy. Gender- based violence is embedded in patriarchical systems governing even so- called modern societies. The socialisation practices continue to discriminate against women and position them as "weak," "vulnerable," "defenceless", thus not only making them victims of crime but also of fear. This perception of environment as threatening obviously leads to limitation in the use and enjoyment of cities. Public spaces are more used by men and controlled spaces by women. An intrusion into this "reserved" public space by some women is seen as encroachment and resisted violently by some males with feudal mindset and pschopathic tendencies. The role of state is central to the issue of citizen safety. The factor that most helps to reduce gender-based violence is citizen action and the action of women themselves. We need to build knowledge and broaden public debate on safety and citizen co-existence in order to contribute to reducing violence and building safer cities for all. Various agencies and experts need to address ersistence and impunity of gender-based violence, and strengthen women’s rights. —The writer is UGC National Professor & Professor Emeritus, Psychology
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