Women meet in the city

The very few open public spaces left for sitting, like the Woodford Square has been the point where many women would meet either on their lunch hour or in between getting household chores done to talk with each other. This is an important function of the city, to facilitate social interactions. It also may be part of the reason why women outlive men as they make time and find safe spaces to discuss their lives and the issues that may come up, seek or give advice and listen to each other. Previously we mentioned mothers having problems navigating the city of Port of Spain with their children but the single woman is not free of challenges. There is a growing number of coffee shops and small food places but they all require person to patronise the establishments in order to then occupy the space, finding free spaces like the Woodford square with sitting space to comfortably have conversation is rare as there is only few other places like it, for instance Independence Square and the Queen’s Park Savannah. Usually leaving women conversing in the streets or on the way in and out of clothing stores. Window shopping is usually an activity that would facilitate such conversation but would not provide uninterrupted conversation and sitting space.  But women find places that may not have been intended for seated conversation.