Women's Safety Perception in the Smart City: Does Smartness Make a Difference?

This paper aims to understand how race and gender intersections shape women's experiences in smart cities, especially their perception of safety. The intersectional approach considers the embeddedness of power, privilege, differentiation, and systems of domination in urban spaces and technologies. Therefore, the approach helps comprehend inequalities in smart cities. This qualitative research was conducted based on semi-structured interviews with diverse women living in São Paulo. Based on the perspectives of women from the Global South, the study highlights the need to consider intersectionality in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating smart city initiatives. The research contributes to understanding women's perspectives in the city and the role of smartness and technology.