A semi-systematic literature review, identifying the relationship between transit environments and women’s fear of victimization in transportation systems: a global perspective

Female commuters across the globe face numerous constraints while using public transport (PT) systems. Unfortunately, the gender-specific needs and demands of women are often ignored while designing transportation settings, particularly in developing countries. Consequently, transit fear and victimization have become prevalent in such fragile transport systems. This study aims to shed light on the close association between transit fear, victimization, and the inadequacies of transportation systems. It also explores how these issues have been addressed in academic discourse over time. The study employs a combination of ‘narrative review’ and ‘systematic review’, commonly known as a ‘semi-systematic review’ process. To achieve its objectives, the study reviewed 88 papers, including relevant grey literature for narrative analysis, and conducted different themes and keywords analyses on 116 Scopus-indexed papers for a comprehensive systematic review. However, in the context of developing countries, the Scopus database reveals a scarcity of empirical studies that focus on women’s victimization during transit and gendered transport environment settings. This leads to a significant disparity in recognizing transit victimization, implementing effective mitigation measures, and understanding the patterns of reporting harassment varying substantially between developed and developing nations. While the narrative review provides detailed observations, the bibliometric analysis adds new insights and strengthens the understanding of the narrative review from different perspectives.