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Abstract

This study focuses on public spaces and analyses them to reveal their gendered nature. It is organized around the following public spaces: educational institutions, malls, railway stations, and the airport. Architectural designs, facilities provided, and gender-specific organization are some of the aspects of these spaces that are under study. Our study identified The discriminatory patterns in some of these places suggesting that there are long-term effects of discrimination on the human psyche, particularly when these spaces do not accommodate gender diversity. This paper highlights some of the discriminations and their effects on the LGBTQ+, gender-fluid and gender non-conforming communities. We observed architectural spaces to trace the subtlety with which gendered structures were incorporated into their architectural design. Specifically, we surveyed architectural designs of railway stations, airports, malls, and selected educational institutions. Each public space accommodates the needs of a specific gender while often overlooking the necessities of the under-represented genders. Despite a nearly balanced ratio that exists between males and females, there is minimal representation of the latter in several public spaces. Shared public spaces generally disregard non-dominant genders, and instead, align themselves with the dominant identities of the gender binary. The indifference towards the presence of genders other than men and women emphasizes the importance of acknowledging evolving identities and their specific needs. For such reasons, the development of gender-neutral spaces and openness towards the multiplicity of genders is of paramount importance in order to incorporate the needs and necessities of all individuals.

Author Biography

Cecilia Juanita is currently pursuing her post graduate degree in Counselling Psychology from Kristu Jayanti College, Bangalore, and has presented her paper in national and international conferences. Her interests lie in the expressive arts and has a heart for Literature. She also avidly aspires to explore the domains of teaching, counselling and research in her field of study. Mail: 19ps201010@kristujayanti.com

Fatema Kapadia is currently a student of Post Graduate Studies at the International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany. She loves fiction.

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