Unfreezing, Moving, Refreezing, Unveiling the Street Harassment Phenomenon Among Exercising Women and Mitigating Strategies for Organizational Justice: A Phenomenological Study

Cities can be identified as organizations because of their public value, which includes public parks, sidewalks, roads, and running/walking spaces in urban and rural communities, which are defined and sometimes crafted. Lamentably, these exercise spaces have become an epicenter of street harassment, with little involvement from governmental authorities (i.e., state and local levels). This feminist phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of 11 women who exercise in outdoor public spaces during hours of heightened risk and how they learn to navigate violence and safety in this space. Black feminist theory and organizational justice framed the study. Braun and Clark’s six-phase thematic analysis approach was utilized. The emerging themes were violence, benefits, challenges, and informal and formal learning. Elements of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice served to guide policies that address gender biases and gender-based violence against women in outdoor public spaces and enhance interpersonal encounters with men. The study’s findings have implications for adult and higher education practitioners and HRD practitioners.