Gender equality of privacy protection in the use of urban furniture in the Muslim context of Iran

Abstract

ABSTRACT The issue of gender inequality in relation to the impartial usage of urban infrastructure has become a factor that influences social sustainability in Muslim contexts. This study aimed to investigate the matter of gender inequality in relation to the privacy protection created in the spatial configuration of urban furniture based on a case study of Rasht, Iran. To achieve this end, the framework of gender equality in relation to privacy protection in the use of urban furniture was established with respect to various physical, social and cultural dimensions. Accordingly, a mixture of methods, including a questionnaire and quantitative methods using space syntax, was adopted for this empirical study. Unlike the previous literature that has considered the profound impact of Islamic principles on the privacy demands of Muslim citizens, the present research suggests that religious principles do not have a notable influence on the privacy demands of men and women within a Muslim community. Moreover, the present study found that privacy demands can be a universal phenomenon with the ability to reflect cultural and contextual particularities. The results also suggest that men and women diverge significantly in their privacy demands, and that the provision of gender equality in privacy protection will facilitate the establishment of social justice and fair interactions within a Muslim society. The implications of this research can be considered as a guideline for implementing the goals of social justice and sustainability within urban spaces in Muslim settings.