Women's parking space

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Women's parking space in an Italian rest area Ladies' parking Italy By Stefano Bolognini.jpg
Women's parking space in an Italian rest area
Women's parking space in an Austrian garage Damenparkplaz Bad Gastein Parkhaus.JPG
Women's parking space in an Austrian garage

Women's parking spaces are only in certain cities globally. They are specially designated and identified parking spaces in parking garages and parking lots to be used by women. They are usually much larger than normal parking spots to reduce accidents and near exits to increase the safety of women, to facilitate parking, or to facilitate walking to shopping or employment destinations.

Contents

To improve women's safety, some companies have improved lighting in their garage, installed surveillance systems, and have reserved parking spots closer to entrances for female-only parking. Some parking spots are painted bright pink to distinguish them as female only, and may also have a "female only" sign. Some women's parking facilities are also widened to make maneuvering in and out with children easier. [1] [2]

History

Women's parking spaces were originally introduced in 1990 in Germany to improve women's safety and reduce the risk of sexual assault. [3] This was formulated because women felt at risk in parking garages which were often dark and deserted. After Germany, places like South Korea and China also adopted this policy. It soon became a law in some regions of Germany that at least 30% of parking spots must be reserved for women. [4]

A study by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics showed that 7.3% of violent crimes occurred in parking garages. [5]

By country

Germany

In contrast to disabled parking spaces, women's parking spaces are not designated in the German road traffic code (Straßenverkehrsordnung) and are therefore only legally binding in private parking areas. However, as landlord, the operator of the parking facility can insist that these spaces be used only by women as long as it is not claimed that the parking facility falls under the rules of the federal road traffic code.

In some German states, women's parking spaces are provided for under garage regulations. For example, the garage regulations of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein state that women's parking places:

In the garage regulation of Baden-Württemberg, at least 10% of all spaces in large garages must be reserved for women. [6] The garage regulation of Brandenburg stipulates that at least 30% of spaces must be for women. [7]

The German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency stated on their website that the establishment of women's parking spaces does not violate the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz), because women are more likely than men to be victims of sexual abuse. [8]

According to the Hessian State Office of Criminal Investigation, the furnishing of women's parking spaces is an ideal means of raising women's feelings of safety. However, according to federal criminal statistics published by the German police, molestation and attacks on women occur no more often in parking garages than in other places. In Hesse, in 2003, only one of 1000 crimes in parking garages was sexual in nature. [9]

Woman parking on men's parking space in Triberg Mannerparkplatz Triberg.jpg
Woman parking on men's parking space in Triberg

A small town in southern Germany, Triberg introduced the antonym, the globally first men's parking spaces in 2012 and caused a major media hype. The two Triberg slots are based on a technical peculiarity, since the slots in question are much more difficult to maneuver into than normal spaces. [10] The mayor of Triberg even explained that women would have difficulty parking there since the spaces require male drivers to back in diagonally without crashing into walls and a pillar. [11] In fact, the mayor's exact words were, "But many also cannot park, like my secretary. Five times she tried and no success." [12] On a final note, to add a comical touch, these men-only parking spaces were even marked with "Mars" symbols. [13]

Background

According to Ruth Becker's research about risk zones in town planning, neither men's nor women's risk assessments are in line with actual dangers, and the actual zone of risk is different for each gender. Women have more to fear in personal surroundings and at home, while men are objects (and dominantly subjects) of attack in the outside world. [14] Becker refers to Elizabeth Wilson's book Sphinx in the City [15] and assumes that women overestimate the dangers of urban surroundings. The focus on opening public spaces and areas to women (at least in Europe) is counterproductive. Herbert Glasauer doubts that women's parking lots have a positive effect, and sees them rather as a sort of backlash, perpetuating a view of the "damsel in distress" instead of addressing actual violence. [14] [16]

China

In the Chinese province of Hebei, women's parking spaces have been established in shopping centers. These are wider and are clearly marked in different colors. This was made to ease parking for women, according to the representative of one shopping center. [17] In the Wonder Mall in Hebei, one of three underground lots is designated for women. The spaces are between 3.2 and 3.3 meters wide, so that even when car doors are fully open, they do not touch neighboring cars, a measure intended to reduce the number of collisions. [18] [19]

While other countries seem to use these spots to create a safe environment for women, there has been controversy across the media in regards to sexism, since China is the only country that has made these spots significantly bigger[ original research? ]. At the Wonder Mall in Hebei, there is an entire parking garage reserved for women, which contains spaces that were 80 centimeters larger than regular parking spaces. If women have trouble parking in the significantly bigger lots, there are dancing parking-lot employees designated to park the cars for them. The walls in the women-only parking garage are designed with the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac/horoscope as a precaution for female drivers who can remember a picture better than a parking space number. [13]

South Korea

In 2009, the city government of Seoul painted 4,929 parking spaces pink so that women do not have to walk as far to their destination and make the city more conducive to wearing high heels. [20]

To the public, these parking spaces are known as 'she-spots." They are bordered with hot pink outlines and display the traditional woman logo (as seen in public bathrooms) which are marked with pink skirts as well. Their intentions are not to degrade women, but to add a "feminine touch" to the city. [21] In fact, The Korea Times (2014) announced the $700 million, 4-year attempt to make the cities more female-friendly. Along with the female-only parking spaces, other ideas include adding thousands of new women-only toilets, and resurfacing city sidewalks with a soft material to ease tired feet for those wearing high heels. [21]

Likewise in Europe, these spaces are placed near entrances and exits in dark parking garages or lots. In addition, along with the beliefs of other European countries who use female-only parking, Korea explains that with the new construction of a female-friendly environment their intentions are not to leave men out and only benefit women, but to create a safe environment for everyone. [22]

Indonesia

Some shopping malls in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, [23] [24] and other cities have women's parking space:

Criticism

Women took offense to the fact that their designated parking spots were made larger because they thought it implied that women were bad drivers. Men also took offense to this because women get special treatment while men do not. The men argued that it was discriminatory to make larger parking spaces available for inexperienced female drivers but none for inexperienced male drivers considering women and men both have to take the same exam to receive a driver's license. [25] They felt this went against gender equality. Another issue arose when a town in Germany labeled two parking spots as reserved for men based on the sole fact that they were harder to maneuver into, further backing up the claims that men were being discriminated against for their driving skills. [26]

On the one hand, one criticism of these signs is that it is inherently sexist to discriminate against one gender and give one gender an obvious benefit. Another criticism pointed out by many relates to the purpose of introducing these signs into society. Primarily, these signs are meant to provide women a safer route to where they mean to walk to. However, some critics point out that men are the majority of murder victims, and it is against basic logic to not give men a safer passage since they are more likely than women to be victims of murder. [27]

On the other hand, some feminists did not take to the fact that the spots were painted pink, much less that a woman wearing a pink mini skirt was also painted on the spot. They considered this very sexist and demeaning toward women, while others just considered it a symbol that was known worldwide.[ citation needed ]

In response to the controversy, government officials said that women received the closer parking spots so they did not have to walk as far with kids. It was also said that the parking spots were made larger so women can have more room to take the kids out of their vehicles. [28] Men argued back that this implied that only women can be caretakers. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexism</span> Prejudice or discrimination based on a persons sex or gender

Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to another. Extreme sexism may foster sexual harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. Discrimination in this context is defined as discrimination toward people based on their gender identity or their gender or sex differences. An example of this is workplace inequality. Sexism refers to violation of equal opportunities based on gender or refers to violation of equality of outcomes based on gender, also called substantive equality. Sexism may arise from social or cultural customs and norms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parking</span> Act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and usually leaving it unoccupied

Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and usually leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the buildings' users. Countries and local governments have rules for design and use of parking spaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parking lot</span> Cleared area for parking vehicles

A parking lot or car park, also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most jurisdictions where cars are the dominant mode of transportation, parking lots are a major feature of cities and suburban areas. Shopping malls, sports stadiums, and other similar venues often have immense parking lots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence Place</span> Shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Providence Place is an American shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island. With 1,400,000 sq ft (130,000 m2) of gross leasable area, it has been the largest shopping mall in Rhode Island since it opened in 1999. As of 2022, the mall is anchored by Macy's and Boscov's, and features premier brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Adore Me, J.Crew, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany & Co., and Free People.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex segregation</span> Physical, legal, and cultural separation of people according to their biological sex

Sex segregation, sex separation, sex partition,gender segregation,gender separation, or gender partition is the physical, legal, or cultural separation of people according to their gender or biological sex at any age. Sex segregation can refer simply to the physical and spatial separation by sex without any connotation of illegal discrimination. In other circumstances, sex segregation can be controversial. Depending on the circumstances, it can be a violation of capabilities and human rights and can create economic inefficiencies; on the other hand, some supporters argue that it is central to certain religious laws and social and cultural histories and traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valet parking</span> Type of parking service

Valet parking is a parking service offered by some restaurants, stores, and other businesses. In contrast to "self-parking", where customers find a parking space on their own, customers' vehicles are parked for them by a person called a valet. This service either requires a fee to be paid by the customer or is offered free of charge by the establishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parking space</span> Designated location for parking a vehicle

A parking space, parking place or parking spot is a location that is designated for parking, either paved or unpaved. It can be in a parking garage, in a parking lot or on a city street. The space may be delineated by road surface markings. The automobile fits inside the space, either by parallel parking, perpendicular parking or angled parking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multistorey car park</span> Building designed for car parking

A multistorey car park or parking garage, also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade, parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed for car, motorcycle and bicycle parking in which parking takes place on more than one floor or level. The first known multistorey facility was built in London in 1901 and the first underground parking was built in Barcelona in 1904. The term multistorey is almost never used in the US, because almost all parking structures have multiple parking levels. Parking structures may be heated if they are enclosed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unisex public toilet</span> Public toilets that are not separated by sex

Unisex public toilets are public toilets that are not separated by gender or sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parking violation</span> Offence caused while a vehicle is parked

A parking violation is the act of parking a motor vehicle in a restricted place or in an unauthorized manner. It is against the law virtually everywhere to park a vehicle in the middle of a highway or road; parking on one or both sides of a road, however, is commonly permitted. However, restrictions apply to such parking, and may result in an offense being committed. Such offenses are usually cited by a police officer or other government official in the form of a traffic ticket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automatic parking</span> Autonomous car-maneuvering system

Automatic parking is an autonomous car-maneuvering system that moves a vehicle from a traffic lane into a parking spot to perform parallel, perpendicular, or angle parking. The automatic parking system aims to enhance the comfort and safety of driving in constrained environments where much attention and experience is required to steer the car. The parking maneuver is achieved by means of coordinated control of the steering angle and speed which takes into account the actual situation in the environment to ensure collision-free motion within the available space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female urinal</span> Urinal designed to be used by women and girls

A female urinal is a urinal designed for the female anatomy to allow for ease of use by women and girls. Different models enable urination in standing, semi-squatting, or squatting postures, but usually without direct bodily contact with the toilet. Sitting models also exist, and are designed for body contact with the urinal.

A women-only space is an area where only women are allowed, thus providing a place where they do not have to interact with men. Historically and globally, many cultures had, and many still have, some form of female seclusion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groping</span> Touching another person in a sexual way without consent

Groping is the act of intentionally touching another person in a sexual manner, usually without their consent. The term generally has a negative connotation in many societies, and the activity may be considered sexual assault or otherwise unacceptable. Touching a consenting person's body during sexual activity, a massage, or a medical examination is not usually considered groping, though the term is sometimes used to include clumsy, selfish, or inappropriate sexual touching. Areas of the body most frequently groped include the buttocks, breasts, vulva, thigh, penis, and scrotum. Gropers might use their hands, but pressing any part of their body against another person can be considered groping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1111 Lincoln Road</span> Parking garage in Miami Beach, Florida

1111 Lincoln Road is a parking garage in the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Florida, designed by the internationally known Swiss architectural firm of Herzog & de Meuron. It is located at the western end of the Lincoln Road Mall at the intersection with Alton Road, and can house some 300 cars. Since its opening in 2010, it has attracted considerable interest because its unique appearance is different from more traditional parking garage designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated parking system</span> Robotic system that parks cars

An automated (car) parking system (APS) is a mechanical system designed to minimize the area and/or volume required for parking cars. Like a multi-story parking garage, an APS provides parking for cars on multiple levels stacked vertically to maximize the number of parking spaces while minimizing land usage. The APS, however, utilizes a mechanical system to transport cars to and from parking spaces in order to eliminate much of the space wasted in a multi-story parking garage. While a multi-story parking garage is similar to multiple parking lots stacked vertically, an APS is more similar to an automated storage and retrieval system for cars. Parking systems are generally powered by electric motors or hydraulic pumps that move vehicles into a storage position.The paternoster is an example of one of the earliest and most common types of APS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's parking space</span> Parking space reserved for men

Men's parking space is an antonym to women's parking space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Männergarten</span>

A Männergarten or Herrengarten is a temporary day-care and activities space for men in German-speaking countries while their wives or girlfriends go shopping. The word is a compound literally meaning "men's garden", formed by analogy to kindergarten.

Feminist language reform or feminist language planning refers to the effort, often of political and grassroots movements, to change how language is used to gender people, activities and ideas on an individual and societal level. This initiative has been adopted in countries such as Sweden, Switzerland and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parking mandates</span> Guidelines for municipal parking

Parking mandates or parking requirements are policy decisions, usually taken by municipal governments, which require new developments to provide a particular number of parking spaces.

References

  1. ↑ Sun, Yazhou. "These 'Women Only' Parking Spots Are Extra-Wide and Pink". ABC News. n.d. Web. 21 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Seoul removes women-only parking spaces in gender policy reversal". BBC News. 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  3. ↑ "Honk for Equality". Global Citizen. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Noack, Rick (10 August 2015). "The debate over Germany's 'sexist' women-only parking spaces". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) - Location." Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) - Location. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "§ 4 GaVO Stellplätze und Fahrgassen, Frauenparkplätze - dejure.org". dejure.org. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  7. ↑ Brandenburg Garage and Parking Regulation (Brandenburgische Garagen- und Stellplatzverordnung- BbgGStV) from October 12, 1994, last changed March 23, 2005 , § 5 (2)
  8. ↑ Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes (16 January 2008). "Antidiskriminierungsstelle - Fragen und Antworten - Ist die Schaffung von Frauenparkplätzen diskriminierend?". Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Report on the safety of parking garages in police criminal statistics. Archived 2007-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ Focus Online : Deutschlands erste Männerparkplätze: Ist das sexistisch? Hier rangieren nur echte Kerle, retrieved 15 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "German mayor defends 'men only' parking spaces". the Guardian. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "There Are "Women Only" Parking Spots In China That Are Extra-Wide And Pink". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 "China's Pink Women-Only Parking Spots Spark a Backlash". WSJ. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  14. 1 2 Ruth Becker Zeitschrift für Frauenforschung und Geschlechterstudien, Jg. 18, H. 4, 2000, p. 49-65 (5 Tab.) ISSN   0946-5596 Standort: USB Köln(38)-FHM XG6137
  15. ↑ The sphinx in the City: Urban Life, the Control of Disorder, and Women. Elizabeth Wilson, University of California Press, 1992, ISBN   978-0-5200-7864-2
  16. ↑ Herbert Glasauer Gewalt ist nicht immer und überall, Georg Glasze, Robert Pütz, Manfred Rolfes: Diskurs, Stadt, Kriminalität: Städtische(Un-)Sicherheiten aus der Perspektive von Stadtforschung und kritischer Kriminalgeographie. transcript Verlag, 2005. S.206ff
  17. ↑ "Un parking pour femmes avec des places de stationnement... plus larges". Le Monde.fr. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "Parking for Women Only". WSJ. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  19. ↑ "Chinese mall to open special parking lot just for women". USATODAY.COM. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  20. ↑ Will High-Heel-Friendly Streets Keep Seoul's Women Happy?, Time, 2009.
  21. 1 2 "S Korea Introduces Female Only Parking Spots". New York Daily News.
  22. ↑ "Massachusetts News, Weather, Photos, Events - Western Mass News - WGGB/WSHM". Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  23. ↑ Ladies parking
  24. ↑ (in Indonesian) Kompas, 22 Desember 2009, Maaf, Ini Tempat Parkir Khusus Wanita
  25. ↑ "Women-only Parking Spaces Discriminatory?" Women-only Parking Spaces Discriminatory? - Academic Photo News. N.p., 19 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
  26. ↑ Clark, Andrew. "Germany's Women-only Parking Spaces: Sexism or Safety?" The Globe and Mail. Special to The Globe and Mail, 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
  27. ↑ "Homicide Trends in the United States, 1980-2008" United States Department of Justice (2010) p. 10
  28. ↑ Person, and Geraldine Herbert. "The 'she-spot' Debate: Are Female-only Parking Spaces Practical or Sexist?" Independent.i.e. N.p., 15 Aug. 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. https://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-talk/the-shespot-debate-are-femaleonly-parking-spaces-practical-or-sexist-31454155.html
  29. ↑ Nuwer, Rachel. "China's Extra Wide Ladies-Only Parking Spaces Sparked a Backlash Over Sexism." Smithsonian. Smithsonian.com, 22 July 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
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