Gender and smart city: canvassing (in)security in Delhi

Abstract

Cities have been gender-biased; the presence of gendered environments in the form of public transport and governance has raised questions on ways in which women access the city. Women have been marginalized and alienated from the urban places and spaces. The fear of alienation leads to a sense of insecurity, making them more vulnerable to crime and violence. Several attempts have been made to make city gender-equitable and one of the recent ones being the concept of the Smart City. It is opined that such cities would be more viable and may provide answers to the problems concerning safety and security. In this framework, the present paper tries to analyze the relationship between gender, security, and the smart city. The first objective is to theorize the concept of security and if it is gender-oriented. Secondly, the paper tries to discuss if a smart city can provide a solution to the identified problem. Delhi is the case study here, as it is often regarded as one of the most unsafe cities in the world. Moreover, it is one of the cities selected under the Smart City Mission (2015), Government of India. The paper tries to identify the pitfalls of this Mission as only a part of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council has been included in this Mission.