How women perceive public space and which locations in Mostar and Gacko they recognize as unsafe is shown by the “Safety Map – Safety of Women in Public Spaces from a Gender Perspective, Mostar and Gacko”, created within the “Visible and Safe/Safe” project.
The project was realized by the Citizens’ Initiative of Mostar and the Women’s Association “Riječ” Gacko, with the aim of translating the experiences of women into concrete data and recommendations for improving the safety and accessibility of public space.
The map was created on the basis of online research in which 300 women from Mostar and 150 women from Gack participated, as well as field observation and Safety Audit safety walks.
In Mostar, Alekse Šantić Street and Kneza Mihajlo Višević Humski Street, Liska Street were analyzed, while in Gack, the park in the Slavljan settlement and Nikola Tesla Street were analyzed.
The results show that women’s sense of safety is influenced by several elements of public space, including lighting, visibility, state of infrastructure, abandoned buildings, the possibility of a safe exit and the presence of other people.
In Alekse Šantić Street in Mostar, among the most pronounced problems are insufficient lighting, poor visibility, dilapidated and abandoned buildings, and the poor condition of the infrastructure. Lighting was rated with 1.66 out of a possible five, visibility with 1.81, while places to hide and abandoned buildings received the lowest rating – 1.11.
In Liska Street, particular emphasis was placed on issues regarding lighting, visibility, dilapidated buildings, and damaged sidewalks, all of which hinder movement—especially for people with disabilities and parents with strollers.
In Gacko, Slavljan Park and Nikola Tesla Street were singled out as particularly problematic locations. Public lighting in the park was rated 1.67 out of five, alongside issues concerning visibility, potential hiding spots, and natural surveillance.
On Nikola Tesla Street, lighting received a rating of 1.33, while natural surveillance was rated at 1.45. Participants in the study also pointed out overgrown vegetation, an abandoned building, a lack of sidewalks, and unkempt areas.
In addition to outlining the problems, the safety map offers recommendations for addressing them. These include upgrading and repairing public lighting, improving public spaces and sidewalks, removing obstacles and debris, securing abandoned buildings, and enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities and parents with strollers.
“Creating spaces with better visibility and greater opportunities for natural surveillance is also recommended. We do not want the safety map to remain merely a document. We want it to serve as a tool for institutions when planning lighting and the layout of streets, sidewalks, and public spaces, ensuring that the experiences and needs of women are integrated into the decision-making process regarding the environment in which we live every day,” stated the Mostar Citizens’ Initiative and the “Riječ” Association from Gacko.
The publication of the Map represents the beginning of further dialogue with local authorities and competent institutions, but also the basis for spreading the methodology to other locations and continuous monitoring of changes in public space.
The “Visible and Safe/Safe” project was implemented by the Citizens’ Initiative in Mostar in partnership with the “Riječ” Gacko Women’s Association, with the support of the “Lara” Bijeljina Foundation, within the framework of the “Peace building starts locally – Women’s voices matter” project.
The implementation of the project was made possible through the project “Women lead on the path of peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, with the support of the Peacebuilding Fund of the United Nations Secretary General (PBF), in partnership with the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the leadership of the UN resident coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is jointly implemented by UN Women, IOM and UNFPA.
