Women’s Mobility: A Constrained Freedom

Mobility is one of the oldest freedoms claimed by women. Yet, for a long time, and still today even, many women remain largely confined indoors and, as in other regards, very often under the control of men—even in societies that claim to be egalitarian. For women, the experience of going out unaccompanied is a reminder that there is still much to be done. We might think that mobility is nothing but the reflection of a set of inequalities between men and women that are visible in other spheres and areas of society. But, in reality, mobility can often be a factor that serves to reinforce pre‑existing inequalities, even though it could be a means of emancipation.