Gender-Based Violence and Urban Spaces: From Security to Self-Determination – Insights from the Italian Debate

Abstract

In this chapter, we outline some Italian feminist reflections and practices relating to the link between urban space and gender-based violence, focusing on the shift from an idea of security towards one of self-determination in public space. In order to map the Italian debate through our theoretical and empirical work, we will sketch out three meaningful dimensions. First, we outline the shift in the literature on women and LGBTQIA+ subjectivities and the city from an understanding of security to self-determination, by redefining the notion of gender-based violence. Then, we will describe certain feminist and transfeminist movements’ activities in urban spaces as an example of self-determination from below. Finally, we will propose some emerging insights from the contemporary pandemic context. By combining the experiences and contributions that we collected, we aim to provide a picture of a feminist city.