Gendered neighbourhoods: exploring women’s and men’s perceptions of safety

Principal Investigator: Dr Chloe Keel

Project description

Domestic and family violence (DFV) has a significant impact on the lives of the women who experience it. Also, DFV spatially clusters in particular neighbourhoods. In neighbourhoods with higher levels of DFV, there is often lower equality between women and men, as areas are characterised by patriarchal social systems that reduce all women’s power. It is currently unclear how the concentration of DFV in communities impacts residents perceptions of safety, if at all. Further it is unclear how women and men in these communities differ in their perceptions of safety.

There is a dearth of research seeking to understand gender differences in perceptions of safety in regional areas. This project proposes to explore women’s and men’s perceptions of risk across different places within their communities (workplace, public spaces and home). It seeks to better understand how women and men differ in their perceptions of safety and risk when living in communities with high levels of gendered violence. In Victoria, the highest levels of DFV are situated in regional communities, particularly in the Latrobe local government area. The context of Latrobe offers a unique opportunity to explore the gendered social ecology in a regional context.

For more information about this project please contact chloe.keel@monash.edu

Outputs

Funding acknowledgement

This project is funded via the State Government’s Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF).