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SARAI POSTING III

Women and their Spatial Narratives in the City of Ahmedabad

By Madhavi Desai

In all cultures, there exists a demarcation between men's territory (public) and women's territory (private). Though this has been the predominant theoretical position, the boundaries are rather porous; they shift and dissolve at times. The meaning of 'inside' and 'outside' keeps changing in response to the situation, circumstances and context. Besides, the definition of public and private varies from culture to culture. However, for most men, the boundaries are very distinct in their minds: for them the outside is associated with work and earning while the inside is for family and relaxation. On the other hand, women are judged by the upkeep of their homes even if they participate and excel in the outer realm. The spatial dichotomy of these two realms is defined through the social superiority of men and inferiority of women and is maintained through the territorial dominance of the men. The dichotomy between public and private spaces and restrictions on women differ in each community, being mostly dependent on the self-image, income level of the family and the ethnicity of the community. 

The historic core of the medieval cities such as Ahmedabad is still inhabited. This research explores the following hypothesis (I): The traditional inner cities were originally based on the social division of the well-defined, cohesive communities/castes, a fact that may still be partially valid. I believe that women feel more comfortable in this urban landscape due to its human scale, the pedestrian distances, familiarity of the surroundings and social support network that comes through collective living. In Islamic cultures, on the other hand, the dominant emphasis is on domestic privacy and seclusion as well as on clear segregation of women. In my study of the traditional Bohra settlements of Gujarat, I found that this was indirectly reflected in the lack of open spaces and squares in neighbourhoods. The streets were mostly used by women (and men) for circulation and not as an extension of the houses and domestic activities, which was a major contrast to Hindu traditional settlements of the region.

Hypothesis (II): By contrast, the modern Indian cities (or new parts of the old cities) are based on Western notions of planning, supposedly bringing in a new era of order, diminished boundaries and freedom of movement. The urban scene is full of huge malls, wide roads and tall buildings. Vehicular and public scales dominate its spatial experience, giving us the impression that women are able to move about and interact at will and also participate in the public sphere but the reality is quite different as there are psychological and physical restrictions that limit this freedom. Because of the overwhelming domination of the modernist principles (that are being followed by many architects/planners even today) with emphasise on universality, geometry and negation of the role of culture, it may have had reverse impact. Besides, there are many other conditions that hamper women's full participation in the urban space.

In my study so far, I seem to find support for both the hypotheses. In addition, much more is being discovered in the socio-spatial realm such as the fact that a majority of the women do not have the time or the space to nurture their personal friendships from the days before marriage. Most of the housewives do not own a two-wheeler and that restricts their mobility, not that they are aware of it. Women in India take a lot in life for granted. Predominantly their socializing is restricted to their relatives or an occasional outing with the husband. They look forward to the legitimate social events like a marriage for going out and enjoying themselves. The workingwomen, on the other hand, longed for 'rest' on a Sunday and not necessarily an outing. Another revealing observation is that most women perceive the new multiplexes and huge stores such as "Pantaloons" as important cultural and commercial landmarks for the city and may spend a cheerful Sunday evening there.

 

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