#inclusivecities

Kota Kita Celebrates the International Women’s Day 2017: Making cities work for women

Cities are not lived in and perceived in the same way by women as men. Women have different perspectives and different needs, often time women have difficulties in mobility options, gender-based violence, access to housing and jobs, and vulnerabilities from climate change. The first step to a more inclusive and safe cities is to understand what women need and what improvements should be made to serve women more equitably. One way that could be realized is to ensure for women’s participation in the decision-making in local government, also incorporating their voice and perspectives in urban planning and management.

In Kota Kita, we believe in a city that is built by citizen participation and collective action. A city for all that is inclusive of  women and other marginalised groups like children, the disabled, and the urban poor. In many of our works in different cities in Indonesia, we have experienced more and more empowered women leaders and planners, as they lead the way to formulate more gender-sensitive solutions for better cities. It is an encouraging start that will ensure a long way towards making cities work for all citizens. We believe that women’s participation and leadership in the development of our cities will lay the foundation for how we can overcome inequality, promote sustainability, and ultimately improve our cities.

YUVA national conference report on Inclusive and Equitable Cities, on March 25th–26th, 2014. The conference was an attempt to bring together various groups and individuals working toward inclusive, equitable, sustainable—and therefore just—cities in India, and to collaboratively develop the insights and tools to develop a socially transformative campaign for the right to the city.