Gender & Urban Development - Or what kind of city do I want to live in?

8/3/2019 Gender & Urban Development - Or what kind of city do I want to live in?

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Gender and Urban DevelopmentOr, what kind of city do I want to

live in?

Prabha Khosla

ADB Regional Seminar on Gender, Urban

Development and Water Supply and Sanitation

November 14th 2011, Vientiane, Lao PDR

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian

Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy ofthe data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper donot imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.


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Urbanization in Asia Today: A Profile

1990 urbanization rate of 31.5% 2010 urbanization rate of 42%.

Asian cities host 1.7 billion inhabitants -50%

of the world urban pop. 850 million live in cities of 500,000 or less.

2020 will host 2.2 billion

Urbanization trends dominated by China andIndias demographics.

30-60% of urban residents are poor.


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Asian Mega Cities


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Mumbai

Mumbai

Hong Kong

Numbers do not tell how women

and men actually live in cities.


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Factors behind urbanization

Cities forefront of rapidly growing Asian economies

offer jobs, health care, education, innovation,

opportunities and choices

Migration from rural (low growth) to urban (high

growth) areas

Natural increase of urban pop

Re-classification & expansion of urban areas

Concentration of infrastructure, services, labour -

efficiencies for industrialization, commerce, finance Urbanization an inevitable trajectory of economic

development.

Offer women and girlsjobs, education & economic

opportunities, compared to rural areas.


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Challenges of urbanization:

Spatial form and infrastructure

In adequate planning - high number of slums andinformal settlementshigh densities for the poor.

Lack of access to land, serviced land, insecurity oftenure, poor housing.

Inadequate municipal infrastructurewater,sanitation, drainage, electricity, solid wastemanagement, health, education and social services -not provided to the majority of the poor.

Insufficient pedestrian-friendly planning & publictransittoo many cars.

Compromised eco-systems - water sources, air, solidand liquid waste, industrial effluents.

These gaps have a greater negative impact on womenand girls due to existing inequalities in society.


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Economic and Social Realities

Informal economy dominant in informal settlements.

High unemployment, irregular work, income insecurity, lower

incomes, and riskier asset base for women.

Higher cost of living - goods and services, housing, bribes,

higher health costsincreasing poverty. Lack of social safety nets.

Women and girls faces greater disadvantages (dignity, safety,

health, livelihoods) in informal settlementslack of gender-

sensitive infrastructure, facilities, services.

Destructive & higher impacts of natural disastersfloods,

high winds, rains, heat... Increase womens work.

Evictions increasing poverty by displacement and loss of

employment and communityworse on women than men.


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Governance

Urban planning and development excluding poorwomen and men from essential services andinfrastructure, provision of serviced land, transportinfrastructure, housing...

Regulations exclude the poorland-use, housing

standards, pedestrian access, etc Inappropriate policy and legal frameworks for

sustainable citieswomen and girls missing.

Lack of equity & gender-awareness in policy and legalframeworks, municipal institutions and mandates.

Weak institutional capacity

Inadequate financial resources

Lack of political power and voice for poor women.


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Philippines

Indonesia


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Urban Poverty

Issues Implications for women and girlsAccess to land,

security of

tenure &

housing

Inadequate services and affordable land penalizes and improvishes single

mothers and their children. Lack of secure tenure or shared tenure

increasing womens poverty and vulnerability in situations of domestic

violence and family breakdown.

Access to

infrastructureand services

Women and girls are loose time and experience stress when negotiating

access to inadequate water and toilets.Unsafe water increases womens care responsibilities, raises health costs

and limits their income generating possibilities.

Access to safe, frequent and affordable transportation often missing.

Limited or non-existent health, school, recreation services increase

womens care-taking responsibilities.

Livelihoods Lower employment options and low incomes prevent security of housing.Insecurity of tenure means poor women have less resources, less assets

and less credit.

Informal sector activities bring little income for high investments of time

and labourpiece work, selling of cooked food, sewing.

Below official wage rates and piece work compromise minding children in

congested living environments.


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Issues Implications for women and girls

Safety and

Security

Inadequate and inappropriate access or affordability of water, toilets,

drainage, lights, lanes, and transport puts women at risk of sexual

harassment and assault.

Lack of employment and insecurity of informal sector wages makewomen and girls vulnerable to sexual harassment from landlords and

middle men and leaves no option to make ends meet except the sex

trade.

Compromised

living

environments

Poor drainage and lack of solid waste management fosters mosquitoes,

flies, unpleasant spells, clog drains and ill health adding to womens

domestic responsibilities.Small plot sizes and small dwellings expose women and children to

indoor air pollution from cooking.

Lanes overflowing with waste water and garbage are difficult for

pregnant women, people with disabilities and older women and men to

navigate as well as when carrying water.

Slums are usually close to or surrounded by contaminating industrial

activitieswomen and children in slums more exposed.

Lack of political

voice

Women and girls excluded from participation in local govnt. structures

and decision making including in community groups.

Women and girls excluded from creating sustainable solutions.

Deny women and girls their human rights to choices over their lives.


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Lets ask ourselves a question.

How do I want to live? What quality of life do I want?

What changes do we need to make to getthere?

We plan cities from this point of view....I would like a safe city, job, affordable housing,

private bathroom & running water in home,healthy environment, mobility, arts & cultural

activities...Let us put ourselves in our cities to createliveable and viable cities.


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Facilitating pro-poor and gender-inclusive

urban development: Some considerations

Communities and Engaging Women

Meaningful engagement of poor women and men in urban infrastructure and services

development and management.

Explicit attention to engagement of poor womenincluding building their capacity to

engage in decision making/implementation/O&M/financial management, etc.

Community womens equal representation in local government structures.

Womens CBOs or NGOs and civil society partners to facilitate engagement of poor

women in politics and development.

Attention to factors that limit poor womens involvement child care, domestic

responsibilities, literacy, safety, VAW, time off fm livelihood activities, lack of mobility,

etc.


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Public

Sector

Good governance inclusive of gender equity and poverty

reduction are essential for the attainment of sustainable

economic and political development.

Enabling gender-sensitive policy and regulatory environments/providing

leadership/leading by example.

Reform of local governments, urban planning and policies to be informed by

sustainability principles of equality and equity, social justice, transparency,

accountability, participation, precautionary principle, environmental integrity with an

emphasis on gender equality and poverty reduction.

Review urban land policies to make serviced land, security of tenure, housing

subsidies available for poorfocus on women and single mothers.

Urban planning to focus women-friendly citiestransportation, public spaces,

community centres, employment equity, violence against women, safety.

Enrique PenalosaBogatabicycle corridors and community facilitiesto facilitatepoor settlementswomens safety and transportation.

Urban upgrading and development projects to ensure equity for poor women in

opportunities for training, jobs, promotions, and SMEs markets/transportation

Municipal fiscal policy and budgets to increasing access to basic servicesQuito,Ecuadors Zona Sur.


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Private Sector

Commitment to local and national government policies on sustainability with

emphasis on gender equality, poverty reduction and environmentalaccountability.

Increase employment opportunities for women. Tenders and contracts

outline commitments to equity in hiring, division of labour, wages,

engagement of poor communities in design and implementation decisions.

Gender-sensitive technology options for housing and infrastructure.

Gender-sensitive and climate proofing of infrastructure designwater,

sewerage systems, drains, transportation, etc.

Increase access, efficiency and affordability of basic services in poor urban

communities.


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Innovative initiatives - Gender

Mainstreaming in Vienna

The Initiative began in 2000 with the followingobjectives:

Consider the different life situations ofwomen and men in all decisions.

Ensure opportunities are available to bothwomen and men.

Create spaces for women and men in thecity.

Give women and men a sense of security. Distribute chances, opportunities, and

responsibilities equally.


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Gender Mainstreaming implementation will:

Evaluate and consider all users of public services andtheir different needs.

Consider not only gender, but also social, ethnic, andhealth-related differences.

Adapt the products and services provided by the City

Administration. Gender equality can no longer remain a fringe topic,

but has to become an integrated part of

all processes, measures, and of quality management.

Benefits: Increased planning accuracy

Quality and effectiveness of measures


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Specific initiatives in:

Public Lighting Gender-Responsive Budgeting

Cemeteries

GM of Public Spaces Increase Pedestrian access - widening

pavements, pedestrian crossing,

Expanding access to econ opportunities Gender-inclusive signage in the city

and more... .


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References

Jarvis, Helen. ,with Paula Kantor and JonathanCloke. 2009. Cities and Gender. Routledge, NewYork.

Khosla, Prabha, 2008. Gender in Local Government: ASourcebook for Trainers, UN-HABITAT, Nairobi.

RTPI in 2003. Gender Equality and Plan Making.http://www.rtpi.org.uk/download/369/Gender-Equality-Toolkit.pdf

Gender-Mainstreaming-Toolkit-Summary.pdf

UN-HABITAI, 2010. State of Asian Cities Report2010-2011. Nairobi.

UN-HABITAT, 2010. State of the Worlds Cities2010/11: Bridging the Urban Divide, Nairobi.

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Gender & Urban Development - Or what kind of city do I want to live in?