Horrifying assaults on female rail passengers in India have been widely reported
put in place, after one of the more comprehensive stakeholder engage- ment processes ever undertaken by the United Nations (UN). Just a year later the Paris Climate Agreement was agreed by some 197 countries and came into force on 4 November 2016, far quicker than anyone thought possible. In October, a new non-bind- ing New Urban Agenda was agreed as a framework for urban development. All three are now highly relevant for cities as local action is required to deliver them. They all have goals on equity and inclusiveness, but more specifically on gender and women’s empowerment. Gender was recognized in 2009
within the UNFCCC climate change process – and this has now been expanded to an annual Gender and Climate Change day within the UN Climate Change Conference; this year it is one of the four priorities for the Moroccan Presidency. New language is being put forward to be included in the Action Agenda for the Paris Agreement to include it more formally.
GENDER-SPECIFIC MOBILITY So why is this either necessary or important you may ask? It is often dif- ficult to understand the relevance of such high level international agree- ments and how they influence any- thing that might be put in place at local or city level. All three of them have recognized the need not only to be more inclusive but that as 50 per cent or more of the population are women we should look at how we can make sure both men and women are playing an equal role in achiev- ing them. Men and women may share common values but the way we react and our pathways to get there are often quite different – as highlighted in the book Women Are From Venus, Men Are From Mars. Certainly urban women have
become more empowered over the years, but unfortunately in both the developed and the developing world statistics on violence against women and girls show that this is grow- ing rather than decreasing. Studies have shown that this increases with
stressful situations, in particular with unemployment or displace- ment. The increasingly precari- ous nature of many families living near the poverty line in urban areas means that it is on the rise. In addi- tion there are a growing number of single heads of household and the family structures and stability are being increasingly eroded. It is clear that if women are to be
able to contribute to the household income they need equal access to education and jobs, and here trans- port comes into the picture. The transport patterns and mobility habits of men and women are quite different and there are numerous studies that have looked into this. Men tend to take longer, more regular trips, while women will make more frequent and complex trips, often associated with fitting in the needs of others such as children or close family members as well as shopping or errands. They also use and rely on public trans- port more than men – and usually have less access to the family car, if
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Safety and Security in Transport
A NEW URBAN AGENDA
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