If members of a safe cities for women programme have an idea of a space which may be unsafe, it will probably be useful to test that idea. Go to the space at different times during the day and see who is using it and how they are using it. If more men than women seem to use a park, ask whether or not this might be because it is a place where women feel unsafe. Alternatively, look at the history of the space in question. Ask if there have been incidences of violence in the area, or if there have been any actions in the past by governments, women’s groups or others to draw attention to safety issues in that space.
“Mapping Safety” is an example of this kind of observation (see the “Safety Planning for Women” section of “Programme Implementation”. Look at news stories, books, articles, or other material about violence against women and girls in your city or community. Try and find common themes, findings and entry points across these interviews and sources. For example, if there are several news stories about violent incidents happening around one subway station, it could be an indicator that safe cities programming should focus on that area, or perhaps on the community’s transportation system in general.