Violence against women on public transport in Nepal: sexual harassment and the spatial expression of male privilege

Abstract

Violence against women in public space is a serious, worldwide problem. Essentially, as women move from lives confined to the domestic sphere, their very spatial mobility might be perceived to be a form of defiance and deviance. This article uses a mixed method approach to explore sexual harassment and assault in public transport in Kathmandu, Nepal. Survey data were gathered from 238 college-age women to explore the frequency, type, and seriousness of sexual harassment and assault. Surveys also solicited reactions to these victimization experiences, as well as any response made at the time of the incident. Interviews with 35 subjects were also conducted. Taken together, the data indicate that sexual harassment and sexual assault are ubiquitous on public transport with younger women particular targets of this abuse. Despite the seriousness of some of these assaults and comments from young women indicating the trauma resulting from these intrusions, none filed official complaints to the bus companies or the police. It appears that public transport offers males both proximity and anonymity, which, in turn, results in high levels of abuse with very little risk of social or legal consequences.

Keywords:

• sexual harassment
• public transport
• masculinization of space
• marital status
• public identity
• Nepal

Acknowledgment

The authors sincerely acknowledge Patricia G. Steinhoff for her comments on the earlier draft of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gita Neupane

Gita Neupane is currently a doctoral student in Sociology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is also a Graduate Degree Fellow at the East-West Center. She received her MA in English Education from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and MA in Sociology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her research interests include gender, violence, sexuality, and health.

Meda Chesney-Lind

Meda Chesney-Lind is professor and chair of Women’s Studies at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Her interests include women, crime, and the criminal justice system.