The Austrian capital has been pioneering ‘gender mainstreaming’ for nearly 30 years. How did the city come to be so far ahead? 

It was a long and not always easy process. One result was Frauen-Werk-Stadt (Women-Work-City), a 357-unit complex made by women and completed in 1997. It was characterised by a woman’s perspective at every level: from pram storage on every floor and wide stairwells to encourage neighbourly interactions; to flexible flat layouts and high-quality secondary rooms; to the height of the building, low enough to ensure “eyes upon the street”.

During 2002 to 2006, street lighting was improved in 26 areas identified in surveys as inducing anxiety; traffic lights were altered to prioritise pedestrians; and seating was installed in nine new locations. More than a kilometre of pavement was widened, and five areas were made entirely barrier-free, so as to better accommodate prams, wheelchair users and elderly people.

Today gender mainstreaming principles are enshrined in policy, with sanctions for those who do not comply. “Gender budgeting”, for example, introduced in 2005, requires each department to report twice a year on how their expenditure has benefited men and women equally. New housing projects must meet gender sensitivity criteria to be subsidised – a sort of checklist to ensure that mainstreaming is not dependent on individual interest.

The involved women faced a lot of resistance.  Elle Hunt describes the process, failures and successes.

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