Gender And Social Inclusion In African Cities - Gamechangers for Urban Sustainability

This event is co-chaired by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the City Hub and Network for Gender Equity (CHANGE). It will spotlight the pivotal role of women and local communities in the making of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities in Africa, in line with SDG11 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Cities in Africa are set to nearly double in the next few decades – by 2050, more than 1.5 billion people will be living in urban agglomerations across the continent. Without radical interventions, Africa’s urban boom will be characterized by a high degree of informality. This means an untenable number of people will reside in settlements with limited access to resources, safe housing, and critical public services. This unprecedented rate of urbanization is combined with the growing impact of climate change on cities. In the coming years, frequent and heavy floods, rising temperatures, and worsening air quality are expected to wreak havoc on overburdened infrastructures and public services.
Sustainable urban planning, climate adaptation measures, and nature-based solutions are essential to meeting these challenges. This means including all stakeholders to set priorities and develop targets that can reduce social and gender inequalities and make cities more resilient.

Despite being in a unique position to make urban life more inclusive and sustainable, women as well as poor and vulnerable groups face social, economic, and cultural factors that limit their ability to participate in drawing up and implementing urban policies. For instance, traditional roles and practices often confine women to the domestic sphere, with decision-making considered the prerogative of men. As a result, city institutions, facilities, and services are rarely designed to take into account the needs, priorities and contributions of women and other marginalized communities.

The event will feature a coalition of stakeholders making the case for a deeper and sustained engagement of women and local communities in urban governance and climate adaptation. To this end, representatives from grassroots groups will share stories of the catalytic power of gender-sensitive and social inclusion (GESI)-responsive and nature-based solutions that are owned by local communities. Elected officials from African cities will present their actions in favor of the empowerment and active involvement of women in building sustainable and inclusive cities.