Women Friendly Cities

GOVERNANCE/ SOCIETY

Topic: General Studies 1, 2:

• Urbanization, their problems and their remedies. 
• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. 

Women Friendly Cities

Context: Urban planning in India does not factor in gender perspectives. Cities need to be redesigned to address the concerns of women.

Issues

• Personal security, digital security and infrastructure security
• All these have a multiplier effect on the position of women — these can negatively affect their access to public spaces, jobs and even how much leisure time they can spend. 
• Indifference to concerns of women results in a difficult commute and poor childcare facilities.
• The segregation of commercial and residential areas automatically increases the commute from work to home and creates entry barriers to mobility for women.
• Shared transport has been found to be generally unsafe. But in the absence of dedicated footpaths or cycle tracks, women commuters have little option.

Way Ahead

• To make cities women-friendly, urban planners must focus on two core issues —greater safety from violence and adequate childcare support.
• Mixed land-use, by encouraging office space and commercial areas in residential localities, makes for regular use of streets, better lighting and encourages women to use public spaces.
• Chandigarh Model – This city factored in local markets, commercial offices, schools, public parks, post offices, police posts and medical clinics into the design of each small locality or sector.
• Reliable childcare facilities, are necessary if we expect women to enter the job market, sustain jobs and also pursue leisure activities. 
• Ensuring that enough creches are available throughout the city is important to set women free and support them in discharging their parental duties. 
• For construction sites, mobile creches could be the answer.