G20 PRINCIPLES FOR QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT MEXICO CITY, MEXICO REDUCING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN THROUGH INTERVENTIONS IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT Public transport is often the only way for girls and women to get to work, school, and healthcare services in developing countries. However, safety can be a major concern. Experience from several parts of the world suggests the most effective way to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) in public transport, including sexual harassment and violence, is through a holistic approach using technology, effective response protocols, and awareness-raising. The World Bank—in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and G20 QII Principles—is looking to enhance and implement these solutions across its transport projects in Latin American cities with this 2016 pilot strategy in Mexico City leading the way. DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE paro!”—a colloquial expression in Mexico that means “help” or “have my back!” The pilot had three core components: In 2014, a Thomson Reuters Foundation survey ranked Mexico City • A communication campaign with posters and information as having the second most dangerous transport system for women addressed to the transport community on methods to interrupt among the world’s largest cites. World Bank research shows that harassment in a non-confrontational way. 65 percent of women suffered from gender-based violence (GBV) in transit and in public spaces related to transportation, and that • A mobile app that compiled data, provided a tool for reporting survivors underreport cases, often due to the length of time required verbal or physical abuse, and allowed users to activate a warning to spend at police stations, stigma, and fear of their identity not message through the buses sound system. The app allowed being protected. Mexico City’s government, through the Traveling the transport community to report cases they experienced or Safely (Viajemos Seguras) program, designed and implemented witnessed, while linking victims with a citizen’s service of the measures to address sexual harassment in public transport, such police for support. as pink buses and segregated transport. To continue to address the structural causes underlying VAWG in transport, the World Bank • A SHARP (Sexual Harassment Appropriate Response Program) designed a pilot project that could generate bystander interventions training for bus operators was adapted with the collaboration within bus services and contribute to behavior change. of a local NGO. Workshops engaged 30 drivers on ways to intervene during a sexual harassment incident and elicited ideas to adapt action protocols to the Mexican context. WORLD BANK PROJECT The 14-week program was piloted on two similar bus routes. To In 2016, the World Bank together with George Washington University, evaluate the interventions, passengers and operators were surveyed the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, CTS EMBARQ Mexico (now WRI and interviewed before and about four months afterwards. Mexico), and ITDP designed a pilot program called “’¡Hazme el JapanGov The Government of Japan OPERATIONALIZATION OF QII PRINCIPLES The World Bank pilot project “¡Hazme el paro!” follows G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment (QII) specifically related to Principle 5 (Integrating Social Considerations in Infrastructure Investment), which advocates that public transport—as well as other infrastructure—should be inclusive, allowing for all to participate economically and socially in a respectful, safe, and healthy environment. This case specifically complies with the following components of: QII PRINCIPLE 5: OPEN ACCESS TO INFRASTRUCTURE SHOULD BE SECURE IN A NON-DISCRIMINATORY MANNER Public transport in Mexico often exposes women to violence, inhibiting safe and non-discriminatory access to services. The pilot project “¡Hazme el Paro!” created awareness of the issue among No me gusta Si ves arrimones, manoseos, miradas the local population and led to bus operators and companies que me acosen. incómodas, me están acosando. A nadie le gusta. El acoso sexual es inaceptable, taking action against sexual harassment. The pilot communication Ninguna mujer no seas indiferente campaign helped promote public transport as a safe space for lo pide. y denúncialo. women where they can feel empowered while using the service. This objective is achieved by enhancing collaborative action for prevention and response to cases of sexual harassment, as 1. Acércate y pregunta si me están molestando. well as encouraging survivors and transport users to report. The 2. Evidencia al acosador (míralo con desagrado, cédeme tu asiento, alza la voz). 3. Denuncia con el operador, está capacitado para actuar. También puedes hacerlo a través de tu app "HazmeElParo". smartphone app, posters, and concrete actions helped survivors feel they were in a safer environment that enabled reporting. The campaign was well-suited for the Mexican context where social Esta campaña forma parte de una prueba piloto para evaluar una estrategia que pretende reducir el acoso sexual contra las mujeres en el transporte píblico de la Ciudad de México. norms that enable violence are strong and reporting systems are complex. Ultimately, it helped convince the community to become agents of change instead of passive users of transport. MAKING A DIFFERENCE IMPROVING CONSULTATION AND INCLUSIVE DECISION MAKING BY THE COMMUNITY Evaluation results confirmed that with increased awareness- Aligned with Principle 5, the three activities aimed to make drivers raising, transport users were able to perceive public transport as and passengers key players and owners of the initiative in order to being unsafe for women. The results showed positive changes in combat sexual harassment in public transport. The communication attitudes of transport users, specifically young men, with increased campaign was designed through four focus groups with female willingness to intervene in cases of sexual harassment. Another step and male bus users. They provided key social and behavioral would involve expanding the project to other modes of transport and information to orient the campaign and mobile app design. The related spaces through training, communication, and awareness. interactive training for bus drivers included two types of exercises: Similar activities have now been applied in other cities, including awareness-raising about gender aspects, and soliciting ideas on Quito, Ecuador’s integrated transport system. A more inclusive non-confrontational strategies to help prevent harassment in buses. and respectful public transport network decreases stressful and Bus drivers developed their own response protocol though the dangerous situations for women and increases their safe access to facilitation of a local NGO, which gave them a sense of ownership as economic opportunities. it was the first time they felt their opinion was considered. “Now I know how to respond to a ABOUT THE QII CASE STUDY SERIES passenger who is experiencing sexual This case study is one of eight developed by the Quality Infrastructure Investment (QII) assault, thanks to the training we Partnership to illustrate how the QII Principles are being applied in practice. The World Bank Group and the government of Japan established the QII Partnership to raise received. awareness and scale-up quality infrastructure investment aligned to G20 QII Principles in developing countries. Bus driver, COREVSA Company Access the entire series at www.worldbank.org/QII.