Girlspace Young people like to 'hang out' in public places. After school, young people see the train stations, bus interchanges and shopping malls as their space for recreation and socialising in, without school or parental control. Yet they are often viewed with suspicion by the community and asked to move on by security guards.
Young people are part of the community, but often feel excluded from it.
For girls, there are other issues like harassment, the effects of sexism and racism which cause fear and discomfort in public areas. Girlspace was a project in Western Sydney for young women to explore why and how they use public spaces like train stations and shopping malls. The project was funded by the NSW Department for Women.