Gender-Based Segregation and Sexual Harassment Policies in Transjakarta: A Q Methodology Study

As the backbone of the metropolitan citizen’s mobility activities, public transport should have been a safe space from sexual harassment. Despite efforts like gender-based segregation in the form of “Women-Only Space” have been implemented, harassment remains prevalent, which suggests the current measures are ineffective. With the evolving understanding of gender and the acts of sexual harassment, further research of related policy becomes crucial. This study examines the implementation of the “Women-Only Space” and other harassment interventions on Transjakarta, using public perception to evaluate their capabilities against harassment. Through Q Methodology analysis and expert interviews, the research highlights three key issues: ambiguity in defining sexual harassment behaviors, institutional failures in raising collective awareness of sexual harassment, and limited protection scope of “Women-Only Space”. The final part also underscores the need for innovation and policy improvements to prevail over the long-term war against sexual harassment in public transportation.