“Out of place” women: Exploring gendered spatiality in Delhi

Abstract

This article explores the gendered nature of urban spaces and their underlying frameworks of power through a discussion of fiction about the city of Delhi. The demarcation of space into public and private spheres creates unease about the presence of women in normative public spaces encoded as masculine. Women need to justify their presence in public spaces with a respectable and worthy purpose. Further narratives of violence and socio-spatial encoding are used to constrict women’s movements. The article discusses how women make claims to spatial equality by challenging these gendered geographies and by positioning themselves “out of place” (in public space) rather than residing merely in “proper place”.

Keywords:

• Delhi fiction
• gendered spatiality
• urban spaces
• spatial equality