Women worldwide are far more represented in care jobs such as nursing, elderly care and education for the youngest than men. They also more frequently take on caring responsibilities within their families. They have therefore been contributing significantly to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and have nevertheless been more affected by the consequences of the lockdown. Besides domestic violence, it is mainly financial concerns that represent a burning issue. More often than men, women work part-time or, in poorer countries, in the informal sector and in industries such as retail, catering and tourism, which have been hit particularly hard.

And most women live in cities designed and built by men. Men have a completely different mobility behaviour than women: They commute to and from work during rush hour, usually without intermediate stops. Many of them use their own cars, some use public transport. This explains why the main roads and central public connections in most cities are designed in a radial pattern from the outskirts to the centre and why a lot of space is used up for parked cars.

Women are more likely to move within their own neighbourhood and towards neighbouring city districts. They walk, cycle or use public transport for short distances. They also push a pram or wheelchair or ride a bicycle with a child trailer more often than men do. Women therefore need accessible and well-designed footpaths and large cycle lanes as well as transport connections that link nearby neighbourhoods. However, this is still the exception rather than the rule.

When individual transport is limited in urban areas, when streets and car parks become footpaths and cycle paths, it is not only women who benefit from such a transformation. Children can get to kindergarten or school on foot or by bike or visit their playmates in the afternoon. Streets become playgrounds. Children learn to move safely and independently in public spaces at an early age and gain autonomy and self-confidence in their most important development phases. The city becomes safer, the air cleaner, life quieter. New green spaces and water areas counteract heat build-up in summer and flooding during heavy rainfall, thus reducing the consequences of climate change. Even a lockdown can be better endured in a quiet green landscape.

Barcelona, a city ruled by Mayor Ada Colau since 2015, shows that change is possible: What would a city designed by women be like?  (short BBC report)

The example shows that the participation of women in city councils and administration is very important. About 130 countries have already introduced quotas for women in different legislations and at different levels. In these countries, the proportion of women in parliaments is rising as a matter of fact. And studies show: At the municipal level, there is a distinct correlation between a high proportion of women in city councils and gender-sensitive urban development.

Girls and young women are experts on their everyday reality. For example, the Swedish think tank Global Utmaning has vividly documented the results of the #UrbanGirlsMovement in the #UrbanGirlsCatalogue. It contains a variety of good practices and policy recommendations for the inclusion of girls in urban planning.

Multifunctional squares and spaces, with a variety of services and plenty of space to linger, are enjoyed by all genders, cultures, and age groups. They are popular and lively; they are thus also safe and at the same time spaces of diverse exchange and a lively urban community. Plenty of "eyes" are not only more pleasant than surveillance cameras; they are also more effective. Where this approach has been successfully implemented, the rate of violence drops massively - against girls and women as well as among teenage boys.

Due to low, stagnating or real declining incomes and pensions as well as rising living costs, the city is becoming increasingly unaffordable for many people - and especially for women of all ages. Social inequality therefore has both a gender and an urban dimension. A structural problem that is currently exacerbated by the pandemic. Gender-sensitive approaches to promote women's employment as well as equal pay, affordable housing and targeted cash transfers for those most in need could mitigate these problems.

Approaches to gender-sensitive urban development have been existing for more than 30 years. It is time for a more rigorous implementation! - #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021

Related Links:

International Women's Day - March 8, 2021
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

SDGs: Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/

How Can Gender Impact the Future of Urban Life?
https://www.archdaily.com/956585/how-can-gender-impact-the-future-of-urban-life

Cities for Women: Taking stock of gender-sensitive urban planning and design
https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/cities-women-taking-stock-gender-sensitive-urban-planning-design/