Genere, In/sicurezza e Spazio urbano. La percezione della sicurezza delle donne a Genova nella dimensione quotidiana

This thesis reconstructs women’s “geographies of fear” in urban contexts by analysing the relationship between (in)security and male violence, and by examining how dynamics of exclusion and practices of spatial appropriation contribute to shaping women’s perceptions. Through an intersectional perspective, the research aims to show how perceptions of safety and everyday practices are mediated by the social position of the women involved, and how, in increasingly heterogeneous cities, different inhabitants may build spaces of belonging, well-being and safety in their everyday places. The empirical research focuses on two neighbourhoods in Genoa - Molo and Lagaccio - and is based on interviews with women residents, complemented by interviews with key informants and the analysis of data on gender-based violence and urban crime. The findings reveal situated geographies and perceptions of in/security, shaped by age, background and social position. The experiences of women appear connected to the systemic nature of gender-based violence and to the power relations that structure the urban environment. Although fear broadly affects women’s urban experience, it is countered through everyday practices of resistance and care, which may also emerge in heterogeneous and diverse contexts.