Cities for women and girls
I am excited to be participating as a moderator at the Urban Economic Forum’s virtual event, “North America, Women, and Urban Sustainable Development Goals: A Shift Towards Gender Equality,” on March 7th and 8th.
The event will involve discussions on how to empower women to play a greater role in urban planning and design, while also addressing the needs of women and girls in cities.
Urban planning, engineering, and design have traditionally been male-dominated fields. This is reflected in how often cities don’t adequately meet the needs of women and children. For example, affordable housing that doesn’t include three bedroom units, neighbourhoods unsafe for women to walk at night, streets with no sidewalks or sufficient crosswalks for women to comfortably walk with their children.
According to the Women Friendly Cities United Nations Joint Programme, woman friendly cities are cities where women:
- Can access health, education and social services.
- Can access employment opportunities.
- Can access high quality and comprehensive urban services (such as transportation, accommodation and security).
- Can access mechanisms that will guarantee their rights in the event they are subjected to violence.
They are cities where local governments take into account women’s issues and perspectives in their planning and decision-making processes. And, women are supported and encouraged to participate in all areas of urban life on an equal basis with men.
I look forward to moderating some engaging conversations on these issues in a few weeks!
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