Dr. Annas Pilavaki*
Dr. Anna Pilavaki, President of the Foundation for the Promotion of Equality "Ypatia" and a Gender Studies Scholar, analyzes in Limassol Today in this second part of her article, that since cities are made by men for men and do not take into account the gender dimension in practices, services, urban development, good practices must be proposed as adopted by some European countries. In addition, he listed other proposals that would reverse inequalities and promote gender equality.
Umeå's best practices within URBACT1
1) In Umeå in Sweden, the city launched a tour bus to explore its gendered landscape. The aim of the tour was to show what the city looks like from this perspective in practice, and finally to identify areas for improvement. One stop on the tour is an arcade that connects the city center with the Haga district. The gallery is a good example of how urban planning can take gender into account in practice. Gender perspective activities involve raising awareness of the exercise of power in public spaces, specifically the exercise of violence against women, and how a city can be seen as a consequence of that violence.
With the help of the "Gendered Landscapes" project, architects redesigned the portico. The result was a safer space: the new concourse is not only wider and brighter, but also has no dark corners for criminals to hide and has an additional entrance in the middle, all of which helped to increase the sense of security. While this design alone won't stop violence against women, project coordinators say it creates an important opportunity to open up a conversation about the issue.
Over the next two years, until 2022, all cities participating in the program will jointly design comprehensive action plans with local actors to address their own gender equality challenges.
2) In Râmnicu Sărat, Romania, municipal authorities learned that municipal sports facilities were disproportionately used by men. A series of consultations with women allowed the city to take financial measures—such as changing the way services were advertised and women-only sessions—in order to make the facilities more inclusive and subsequently increase their use by women.
3) Bologna, Italy, launched a media campaign and recruited, trained and encouraged young women to act as ambassadors to help fight discrimination against Roma, Sindi and Camminadi communities. To avoid stereotyping, Cascais City Council in Portugal provided training to all communications staff on how to avoid reproducing traditional and outdated gender stereotypes in their digital and print materials.
Gender equality reports highlight where and how cities can act to:
1) Representation and participation
2) Governance
3) Economic equality
4) Public services
5) Planning and public space
6) Integration of immigrants
The participation of NGOs is also an important element, so cities must also approach NGOs and make use of their expertise. At the same time, it is also important to create Municipal Committees for Gender Equality in each Municipality. Men and women members of the municipal councils, as well as experts in the integration of the gender dimension in local policies, representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations and women's organizations of the region can participate in these Committees.
Indicatively, the responsibilities of a Municipal Equality Committee may include:
1) Submission of suggestions/proposals to the Municipal Council for the promotion of substantial gender equality in all sectors.
2) Sensitization/updating and informing the residents on the issue of equality by organizing events, free discussions, conferences, seminars, educational programs and action measures.
3) Pursue permanent and close cooperation with local trade union and mass organizations, NGOs and gender experts.
4) Preparation of an Action Plan for the Mainstreaming of Gender Equality with clear objectives and resources to allocate, for its implementation, as well as deadlines for its implementation and to present on a regular basis, reports on the progress achieved in its implementation with the aim of its evaluation.
5) Creation of informal networks between structures, organizations of the Municipality, associations and other civil society organizations active in the Municipality, with the aim of solidarity between all social actors and dealing with incidents of violence, racism and xenophobia.
6) Creation of networks and development of partnerships with civil society.
7) Training of the officials of the Municipality, who exercise planning and environmental responsibilities, with the gender dimension in the planning of the space and the environment and the perceptions that manage the space and are based on traditional gender stereotypes, as well as the conditions of access for men and women to the functions of the city.
8) Creation of an informal network between the local groups of the Municipality, educational institutions, women's associations with the aim of establishing a continuous dialogue on the effects of traditional planning on women's groups and ways of dealing with them, thus highlighting the role of women in environmental-neighborhood management.
9) Defining specifications for shop signs so that they do not reproduce negative stereotypes or degrade either gender.
10) Traffic arrangements (pedestrians, one-way streets, parking spaces, etc.), in order to serve the movement within the city of women, parents, people with disabilities, etc.
In business planning:
1) Creation of safety conditions in the Municipality with possible actions such as opening and lighting streets, increasing lighting in squares, parks, streets, cleaning abandoned private plots and common areas, cleaning and sealing abandoned old houses and shops, cleaning cul-de-sacs and remote parts of the Municipality.
2) Identifying and recording the needs of women through the systematic study of the use of space and time in the city or region where they live, so as to highlight the environmental commitments that women face.
3) Creation of a system of open spaces, as well as a network of pedestrian and cycle paths, in order to facilitate daily life and develop sociability.
In this way, through the processes of participatory planning that can work through consultation actions, the different needs and desires of the citizens are taken into account, thus highlighting the deep knowledge of women about the issues of their space and their neighborhood.
*Chairman of the "Ypatia" Equality Promotion Foundation
For what causes gender inequalities in cities, what sustains them and what could reverse them, you can find it in Part 1 of the article in Limassol Today, here.
