Perceived Safety – Lived Insecurity: Women in Munich’s Public Transport

Preferring to take a taxi at night rather than the tram, or avoiding traveling alone if possible: many women are familiar with this feeling of insecurity. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have investigated how multiply marginalised women —in terms of gender, racialisation, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation—experience (un)safety on public transport in Munich. The results show that despite experiences of harassment or violence, many participants reported feeling relatively safe. The researchers explain this paradox with the normalization of experiences of violence, which are a common reality for marginalized women on public transport.

Inclusive safety strategies as a solution

“To navigate feelings of unsafety, participants developed strategies to minimise risks, such as avoiding certain lines or travel times”, says Franziska Meinherz, head of the research group urban and mobility geography at KIT’s Institute of Geography and Geoecology (IfGG). “This restricts their movement and constitutes a mental load, which is also referred to as ‘safety work’.”

The researchers investigated how intersectional marginalization shapes women's experiences of safety on public transportation, and how their intersectional identities affect their mobility behavior. The qualitative study with twelve participants included two-week mobility diaries, go-along observations, and interviews.

“Multiply marginalized women experience public transport not just as a means of getting from one place to another but as a space where broader social inequalities are reproduced,” says Esma Geliş, doctoral researcher at the IfGG. The researchers advocate a preventive Vision Zero approach and a more inclusive mobility policy that prioritizes equitable and comfortable mobility experiences.

lkr, September 18, 2025