Jenna Dutton
Moderator
Despite persistent global efforts to advance gender equality, women in cities around the world still encounter countless challenges that hinder their participation in city life. From public spaces to service provision, and from transportation to land management and housing, gender inequalities are built into our cities. Gender-inclusive urban planning has a key role to play in providing equal access to services and opportunities and accelerating the socio-economic mobility of women, girls, and other marginalized groups. Planning more inclusive spaces not only will improve and protect the lives and livelihoods of women and girls but will contribute to the well-being of the entire society as well.
The question is no longer the ‘why’ but ‘how’ how international development partners can concretely support local authorities and local stakeholders in creating gender-inclusive cities. The session will present and discuss tools, practices, and lessons learned from programmes focusing on women's participation in city-making. Participants will also identify missing links that will need to be addressed to effectively accompany cities in reshaping urban gender roles and narratives while responding to specific issues and situations.
(1) The workshop session will contribute to the capacities of participants to develop gender-sensitive plans and policies. It will equip participants with the respective tools to consider the gender dimension in urban planning and infrastructure projects.
(2) It will also provide methods on how women leaders of local communities and urban neighborhoods can be empowered to participate in city planning and urban infrastructure development and to voice their priorities and concerns. This knowledge transfer is crucial to designing inclusive urban development also in the long run, as well as ensuring the communities and cities’ ownership of projects and solutions.
(3) The session will also showcase some of Cities Alliance's best practices in urban planning in order to inspire participants to replicate similar approaches and projects in other contexts.