Summary:
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Women and girls, who make up half of the population, are mistreated in city planning.
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According to surveys, 97% of UK women between 18 and 24 have reported experiencing sexual harassment in public places.
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Four topics are highlighted in the book “Designing Cities that work for Women”: protection and safety, justice and equity, wellness and health, and enrichment and fulfilment.
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The needs and goals of women are looked at, including safety, gender-based discrimination, and a lack of access to chances for high-quality education and work.
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According to the report, women are underrepresented in positions of authority and face challenges in fields like city planning, building, and leadership.
Women and girls, who make up half of the population, are mistreated in city planning. According to surveys, 97% of UK women between 18 and 24 have reported experiencing sexual harassment in public places. More than 50% of Irish women feel unsafe using public transportation after dark.
The absence of adequate public facilities is one of the other problems. For instance, one-third of women worldwide claim they lack access to proper restrooms.
Four topics are highlighted in the book “Designing Cities that work for Women”: protection and safety, justice and equity, wellness and health, and enrichment and fulfilment.
Inadequate representation
The topics covered include a broad spectrum of city design elements, from sculpture to street lights. Only about 3% of monuments honouring past and present heroes have images of women.
The needs and goals of women are looked at, including safety, gender-based discrimination, and a lack of access to chances for high-quality education and work.
According to the report, women are underrepresented in positions of authority and face challenges in fields like city planning, building, and leadership. They only make up about one in seven environment ministers.
According to UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, “Achieving gender equity is crucial to each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.” “Women’s lives, as well as the lives of their families, might suffer when cities are mostly planned without taking into account the different needs and insights of women of all ages and identities.”
Solutions that favour women
The report, created by the University of Liverpool, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the worldwide design and engineering firm Arup, draws on the opinions and experiences of women from all over the world and an in-depth analysis of data and research.
There is a significant emphasis on decision-makers problems and strategies to
Including women in the design and planning of cities would make them more inclusive, resilient, and conducive to their needs.
Creating design action plans, education and development initiatives, and city-wide gender equality taskforces are a few specific proposals.
Collaboration between local government officials and other stakeholders, including corporations and civil society organisations, is often mentioned as critical in developing safe and just environments for women and girls.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
