Hundreds of women marched in Istanbul, Turkey, on 29 July 2017 to protest against violence and animosity they face from men demanding they dress more conservatively. Depo Photos/ABACA/ABACA/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.If you see a pink bus pass you on the streets of Istanbul, don’t be surprised. These are the furiously debated, female-only buses that have been touted as the answer to harassment on public transportation in Istanbul, and are already in circulation in cities such as Bursa and Şanlıurfa.
Admittedly, the first time I was asked for my opinion about the concept I was torn. Having experienced the relentless exhaustion and fear of harassment, being able to let my guard down on public transportation did not sound bad at all. No, it would not fix the problem, but then again, the idea that women must remain victims offered up on a platter while we do nothing to solve it did not thrill me either.
The pink buses are not a new idea, despite the recent uptick in debate about them. If the motivating logic was truly to offer women an optional safer public space while simultaneously addressing the systemic sexism and violence that make such spaces necessary, I might be on board (pun intended).
