A city safe for women is safe for everyone: Women’s voices lead at the World Urban Forum in Cairo

Is the twelfth edition of the Forum (WUF12) continues in the Egyptian capital, speakers at Women’s roundtable conference consider issues such as finance and housing and find ways to ensure adequate housing and build partnerships to empower women at the local level.

These topics are viewed through the lens of Beijing Platform for ActionThe landmark global agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment was adopted by United Nations Member States in 1995 and aims to echo some of the key issues before this year’s Forum, including women and poverty, women and the environment.

‘It all starts at home’

Talking to UN News After speaking at the roundtable, Maimuna Mohd Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia’s Special Envoy for Sustainable Urbanization, said that although women make up 50% of the world’s population, “we don’t have present at the decision-making table” even on issues related to this issue. as climate change affects them the most

“[Yet] Women’s role is crucial as we begin to ‘home and localize’ to address their needs…leaders at all levels should sincerely involve women in the process. decision-making process,” said Ms. Sharif, who is also a former head of the agency. UN-Habitatthe body that convenes the Forum every two years.

Dr. Maimuna Mohd Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Special Envoy for Sustainable Urbanization.

‘Software and hardware’

Ms. Sharif went on to emphasize the need to adopt a comprehensive approach to society to achieve the goal of “leaving no one behind and leaving no place behind”.

She said there are two things involved in supporting women’s participation: “software and hardware.”

“Software” in this context, she added, is moral support, which can open up “access to education, public services, employment and then…housing” for women. female.

In terms of “hardware”, Ms. Sharif refers to governance and decision-making in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia more broadly, including not only the participation of women in strategies but also in actual policy-making. international.

‘Women can lead’

Sarah Syed, a 20-year-old climate justice activist from Toronto, Canada, told UN News that she believes that so far, WUF12 “is [off to a] Strong start.”

Ms. Syed, who is rushing between panel discussions and is a member of the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board.

“We should maintain this momentum and ensure that, by the end of the World Urban Forum, we have a solid idea of ​​how to attract young people,” Sarah added.

She emphasized that, “we need to invest in girls’ education, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We need to invest in young girls and women’s startups as well as businesses and entrepreneurship, ensuring they have enough capital and easy access to capital to scale their own ideas. me.”

Ms. Syed continued to emphasize that leadership is also key, emphasizing that women must be able to lead in their indigenous communities, local governments and urban planning councils. Surname.

“Women… have the ability to lead,” she said.

Sarah Syed is a 20-year-old climate justice activist from Toronto, Canada.

Safe spaces in Afghanistan

Wednesday’s roundtable looked at the opportunities and challenges facing women in cities and towns, focusing on action at the local level.

According to Stephanie Loose, Country Program Manager, UN-Habitat Afghanistan Country Office, the discussion highlighted strategies to increase women’s access to essential services, which can have huge impact on their lives.

“It is very important to ensure that women can still have some public spaces, but it is especially important that they ensure access to suitable housing, because if you spend a lot of time at home, that’s one of the things you need. to feel safe, where you need to feel safe,” Ms. Loose said UN News.

She spoke specifically about UN-Habitat’s work in Afghanistan, where authorities have enacted laws that exclude women from public life.

Ms. Loose emphasized the agency’s work with the community, which includes “holding consultations to see what is actually possible and how we can create culturally acceptable spaces in current environment, but also provide a space where women can still meet.”

Such spaces can be public, created specifically to ensure that women can still meet outside and have some way to get out of the house.

Ms. Loose gave an example of how UN-Habitat worked closely with the community on a public space project in one of the informal settlements in Kabul.

This settlement is informal and is located on a very steep hillside. It is unplanned so there are no access roads and no consideration for resilience to natural disaster risks.

She added that UN-Habitat has worked closely with community leaders and consulted with both men and women, “to decide what can be done to create a Public space is gender sensitive and allows women to also use this space.

She further noted: “There has also been an agreement with the authorities on special facilities and timelines for women to be able to use the space.”

‘Zero waste’ city

Betty Osei Bonsu, Country Director of Green Africa Youth Foundation in Uganda speaks to UN News at WUF12 in Cairo.

According to Betty Osei Bonsu, Country Director of Green Africa Youth Organization in Uganda, some other important issues raised by participants were empowerment, equal opportunities and inclusion.

She said UN News that her organization’s projects focus on three main areas: climate change, disaster risk reduction and the circular economy.

We came to promote our biggest project, the Zero Waste City project,” she said enthusiastically.

Empowering women and girls is important for their work, and one example is a project that allows women and girls in mining areas to grow mushrooms and use cocoa pods to produce soap locally.

They also empower women and girls through beekeeping and provide locally produced green products.

“We have empowered more than 120 women and youth in these communities to turn this waste into resources. They can generate revenue for themselves,” Ms. Bonsu added.

She believes that “resilience belongs to women because women are always at the forefront of problems”.

The forum will continue until Friday, November 8. UN News is in Cairo to cover all the action.