Risk en route: Women’s mobility and exposure to gender-based violence in public spaces in Curitiba, Brazil

Sexual violence against women in public spaces remains a persistent and troubling societal issue. The daily rhythms of people’s routine activities offer important insights into when, where, and who may be most exposed to gender-based violence. This study proposes an exploratory spatio-temporal approach to investigate women’s potential exposure to gender-based violence in public spaces in Curitiba, Brazil, adopting an intersectional perspective that considers gender, education level, income, and age. Using sample data from Curitiba’s Origin-Destination survey, we analyze the associations between the spatio-temporal patterns of the ambient population and those of gender-based crimes. Our results reveal that the correlation between population flows and gender-based crime incidents varies throughout the day, with stronger associations during daytime hours, especially morning and afternoon, when movements typically relate to commuting between home, work, and other destinations. Findings show that young women, those from low-income groups, women with secondary education, and those relying primarily on walking or public transportation tend to be more exposed to gender-based violence throughout the day, especially during peak hours. High-incidence crime areas are more closely linked to women’s destinations than to their places of residence and tend to align with public transport hubs. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of these findings for public policy and research agendas.