Graduation 2025: Championing safer cities for women

As UNSW Canberra celebrates its end-of-year graduations, one PhD graduate is using her research to spark conversations about safety and inclusion in cities.

Dr Sabrina Shanto, who graduates this week, investigated how women experience harassment on public transport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, revealing that the issue is far more complex than isolated incidents.

“My PhD research looks at how women experience harassment on public transport in Dhaka, not just as single events, but as something that impacts their bodies, emotions, and everyday movement through the city,” she said.

“I wanted to understand how fear, discomfort and social pressure influence the way women travel and the choices they make.”

To uncover these insights she spoke with women, mapped their journeys and reflected on her own experiences navigating crowded, male-dominated spaces. Her findings show that harassment is not only a behavioural problem but also shaped by city design, social norms, and unequal power relations.

“My goal was to highlight women’s voices and make their emotional experiences visible. I wanted to encourage more sensitive, community-based solutions rather than just technical fixes,” Sabrina explained.

“Growing up and travelling in Dhaka, I saw how harassment affected women’s confidence and mobility.

“It wasn’t just an isolated problem, it shaped how women felt in their bodies and how they moved through the city.”

Her academic journey began with a Bachelor in Geography and Environment at the University of Dhaka, followed by a Masters in Human Geography at Radboud University in the Netherlands. Choosing UNSW Canberra for her PhD was an easy decision.

“It’s one of the most respected research institutions and my supervisors showed strong interest and understanding of my topic,” she said.

“The support and guidance I received gave me confidence that UNSW Canberra was the right place for me.”

Her time at UNSW Canberra was marked by standout achievements, including presenting at national conferences, winning the faculty heat of the Three Minute Thesis competition in 2023, and taking home the top prize at Canberra Pitch Night 2023 with her social enterprise proposal, Speak Up.

“That moment was incredibly empowering. It showed me how academic research can inspire real social change,” she said.

The journey to graduation came with significant personal milestones. She took maternity leave twice during her PhD, which she views as a source of strength rather than a setback.

“It taught me resilience, discipline and time management. Each time I returned, I came back with more clarity and confidence.”

Looking ahead, Sabrina is now a Resilience Officer at the Australian Red Cross and provides preparedness training to culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Canberra in case of any emergencies.

Sabrina’s advice for future students is simple but powerful.

“Destiny is meant to be difficult, but make the journey interesting, peaceful and most importantly entirely yours.”