During peak hours at work, trains are always crowded and congestion, and passengers are put on the back of their chest, which is the most likely time for sexual harassment to occur. Perhaps we can give female passengers a sense of security through the setting of "women-only carriages", but after leaving the carriages? What else can we do?
"The armrest of aircraft seats is a gender political issue. 」
On December 8, the South China Morning Post wrote journalist Whitehead, who, in a report in the New Zealand Herald, mentioned that he was uncomfortable with the "grand sitting position" when he was flying.
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At this point, you might ask if it's that serious? However, on the plane, usually for long-distance flights, aircraft seats are relatively small, if the "grand sitting position" occupy the seat, will be compressed into the female ride space, thus deriving the problem of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Whitehead called on airlines to set up "female exclusive" seating areas. According to CNN, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated air sexual assault cases, a total of 38 in 2014; 40 in 2015; 57 in 2016; 63 in 2017 and 3 in 66% years, so more and more women want to set up gender-specific seating areas 。
Whether it's a journey in the air or a commuter underground, is there really only a way to "women-only" seating areas or carriages in solving the problem of sexual violence on mass transportation?
When it comes to "women-only", it originated in Japan in the 1912, when "women-only carriages" were set up during the peak hours of the Tokyo Central Line, but the middle was abolished because of ineffective results. In the 1950, it resumed operation until 1973, when it was considered outdated and inconvenient, and once again abolished the service. It was only in 2000 that the "female carriages" recreated the river and lake again.
The emergence of "women-only carriages" is to combat incidents of sexual violence on mass transport vehicles, but after their establishment, what are the implications? How is the situation different when implemented in various countries? Let's go on to look at the experience of "women-only carriages" in various countries! (Recommended reading:Gender and power in the "Gender Watch" space!) Written after the taxi driver sexually assaulted the Han Ju )
Do we need a "female-only carriage"?
Japan
Because "tram crazy Han" rampant, at the end of 2000, Tokyo "Keio Electric Iron" Keio Line set up a "female-only Car", all the way to this day. In addition to feeling more at ease in the experience of riding, men think they are immune from being mistaken for "crazy." Of course, there is opposition to the view that special carriages, which directly identify men as perpetrators, are a form of "gender discrimination" and violate the spirit of the Constitution--equality before the law.
On the February 16, 2018, on the virtue of punctuality in Japan, there was a delay in the subway service, because in the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, three male passengers entered the women's special carriages, the female passengers in the car asked them to get off, and many times through the station staff persuasion, three men still refused to leave, and then called the police to deal with, Female passengers also pressed the emergency button and the car was delayed by 15 minutes. Afterwards, the male passengers said: "We also have the right to take the tram!" "It is considered that the existence of female-specific carriages is a form of gender discrimination.
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United Kingdom
Britain had introduced women-only carriages in 1977, but the service was abolished for reasons such as the Equality Act. From 2012 to 2017, there was a rising number of cases of sexual harassment on trains, according to the British Transport Police (BTP), from 650 in 2012-2013 to 2016-2017, to 1448, which grew by twice times, resulting in a succession of party leaders And members have proposed the resumption of special carriages.
"Isolation, not answers," said Laura Bates, founder of "Daily Sexism" (Everyday Sexism) afterwards. 」
Taiwan
Taiwan's first "female-only carriages" occurred on June 1, 2006, but during the trial, passengers reacted to the general overcrowding of carriages, or disputes between male and female passengers, and the suggestion that Taiwan railway was unconstitutional and did not guarantee "equality for all". The operation ceased after 2 months of trial due to ongoing controversy.
by May 30, 2010, the Taiwan Railway had changed to the introduction of "female priority carriages" because there was no particular restriction on which gender was "exclusive", and many passengers believed that this was not different from the general carriages, but only in a formality.
Rethinking the establishment of special carriages and facing up to the problem of sexual violence
Is the gender segregation of "female-only carriages" the solution to the incidents of sexual violence on trains? Perhaps we can get a moment of security for female passengers through the setting of special carriages, but what about after leaving the carriages? Moreover, sexual violence is gender-disaggregated, and everyone wants to have a safe ride space. (Recommended reading: "Public" co-space that does not belong to women: ubiquitous sexual harassment )
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Clichy, a British MP, had tweeted: "We can make all carriages safer, not to limit where passengers have to stay. "The description of gender-specific carriages only limits women's movement and considers sexual violence to be normal," we have to make it clear that the problem is with them (the attackers), not the seating arrangements for women. 」
What kind of views or personal experience do you have about the special carriages on the train? Welcome to the Women's fan room and discuss it with us!