Making and Feeding Futures of Leeds: Design, Care and Public Spaces

Description

I was invited to give a presentation to the Leeds City Council Safeguarding and Domestic Violence Team and the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Board, which includes VAWG programme managers, West Yorkshire Police leads, local Women and Girls Alliance partners, elected members, EDI colleagues, and community safety representatives. My talk shared the key aims and outcomes of my project, which examines how design practices and public infrastructures shape health inequalities and perpetuate gendered forms of control.
I focused on breastfeeding as a critical site where misogynistic views and the sexualisation of women’s bodies intersect with public harassment, stigma, and exclusion. Drawing on the collective visions produced through my 2024 Leeds Art Gallery workshops, I highlighted how harassment of breastfeeding parents sits within broader patterns of violence against women and girls in public space. I discussed how systemic and cultural change—through urban planning, community infrastructures, and policy—can contribute to making Leeds a safer, more equitable city for women, girls, and gender-diverse parents.

Period	1 Sept 2025
Held at	Leeds City Council, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	Regional