The effectiveness of women's safety audits

This paper discusses a methodological tool – the women's safety audit – initially developed in Canada, but which has been adapted and used in many regions of the world. The women's safety audit allows participants to identify safe and unsafe spaces and recommend how the unsafe spaces can be improved. In doing so, the women's safety audit privileges the experience of women living in a neighbourhood as ‘experts’ in their own field. Based on interviews with six organizations in Europe, Africa and Asia and on an analysis of written sources, the paper examines some of the applications, outcomes and challenges of this methodology. The findings suggest that the audit is adaptable to local contexts, can be effective for bringing about environment changes, empowering women and alerting the public and authorities to the shared responsibility for ensuring the safety of women.