Sustainable Solutions to Gender Based Violence in Slums

A collaboration between researchers in Security and Crime Science and Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering

In developing countries, urbanisation results in the formation of slums; neighbourhoods that are characterised by environmental degradation, lack of provision of water-sanitation, lack of access to affordable energy and dilapidated housing stock.

Within this setting there is evidence to demonstrate that communal facilities, such as public toilets, if not well sited and designed, could potentially act as crime generators, especially for gender-based violent crimes such as assault and rape.

The absence of lighting, among other factors, such as inadequate provision of basic sanitation and lack of police presence in slums, has been highlighted as facilitators for violence against women in slums in third world countries.

This research project tested the hypothesis that the provision of adequate lighting around public toilets in slums will reduce women's perception of insecurity and fear of crime.