The role of women in society has been discussed on different platforms, in different contexts, at different times the world over. One major outcome of these discussions is that women are generally given less credit than is due when it comes to their role in the family, at the workplace, and in society.
The subject of women and cities is yet another dimension of these debates. These usually revolve around how safe are women in this city? Is it safe for women to venture out during late hours? Which is the safest city for women? Are there enough restrooms for women in this city? Are there adequate facilities for young mothers with their babies? And so on. These are indeed essential for women’s well-being and must be pursued vigorously to ensure continuous improvement. However the discourse must go beyond these subjects. Women are making significant contributions in various fields: in sports, at the workplace, and now even in the armed forces. Hence the potential of women’s contribution must be harnessed and channelized to also help build better cities and a vibrant, inclusive urban landscape. By virtue of the wide ranging tasks that they perform in the family and at the workplace, women are well placed to participate in the urban planning process in several areas – zoning (mixed use neighbourhoods), housing, waste management, planning of gardens/leisure spaces, public transport, security and fire services, and medical facilities, for example.
There must therefore, be continued effort to involve women in the running of our cities. Reservation for women in elections to positions of councilors and for appointment as mayor are steps in this direction. These need to be deepened to provide greater opportunities to women from all sections of society to participate in the urban development process. While a small number of women can get the opportunity to serve in these capacities, the others too can be a part of the process. Some of the ways are: Vote and get voted; women must ensure they vote in local body elections and support the candidate who they think has the best vision for the city/neighbourhood, while also contesting elections where possible. Next is talk and network; discuss issues concerning the locality (say water supply) with other neighbours, join or start groups on social media, provide feedback and support to councilors/ULB officials, and so on. Such collective engagement of women citizens with ULB officials and elected representatives is a powerful mechanism for bringing about improvement in the functioning of the city. Lead the community; women can have profound impacts in local campaigns and programmes such as for water conservation and waste segregation at the household level. There could be several other possible ways in which women can participate.
Therefore, women who play the central role in the affairs of the family can also help in effectively guiding the urbanisation process. Policymakers In city planning roles must actively seek women’s participation in order to create urban spaces that are more inclusive and work for everyone; women on their part must proactively seek to engage with policy makers and
city leaders.