Advancing women’s inclusion in cities enables more inclusive economic, social, and ecological development, contributing to the common goal of “leaving no one behind”. At the same time, key aspects of the urban environment regarding access to services, mobility, the right to live without violence, health and security of tenure amplify and reinforce gender inequalities.
Acknowledging these challenges, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in the Arab region – Cairo together with the International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights at the Local and Regional Levels convened regional consultations for members of the Coalition of Arab Cities against Racism, Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance to gather and discuss experiences of cities with the inclusion of women. The information generated during the online consultations that took place 18 – 20 October 2021 will provide the key content for the development of a new chapter of the Toolkit for Urban Inclusion in Arab Cities, which so far comprises four chapters on topics of high relevance to Arab cities, available in three languages.
In the human rights context, inclusion is closely related to the principle of non-discrimination, but also focuses on opportunities and outcomes. The regional consultations confirmed that women in Arab cities may have attained equal rights before the law, but have yet to achieve equal representation in the political and particularly in the economic life. Participants exchanged on concepts, arguments, and evidence backing women inclusion programmes and policies in their city in sessions, moderated by the UNESCO experts. Together, they identified conditions enabling women’s inclusion, including the implementation of policies and programs and identifying and engaging key stakeholders. Challenges in relation to women’s inclusion were addressed as well as solutions and good practices.
Based on these real experiences and practices of city members of the Coalition of Arab Cities, the toolkit chapter on women inclusion, once finalized, will aim to provide city leaders and local government officials with practical tools and advice to guide their efforts towards establishing sustainable cities that guarantee the inclusion of women in all spheres of life.
