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When the planning for a high-level Women Mobilize Women study tour in Berlin began in late September 2022, no one on the team could have envisioned how it would come together. The goal seemed simple: bring highly influential women from around the world, particularly those based in the Global South , together in one room for an incredible opportunity for intergenerational and intercontinental  learning. At a time where the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has stated its priorities for feminist development policy, this was the ideal moment.

Personal safety on streets and public transport is one of the main barriers women and girls face in accessing important services such as health care, education and other economic opportunities. This blog is shaped by my personal experience as a young Mexican woman who relies on walking, cycling and public transport. It looks at the importance of women’s advocacy and participation towards more inclusive and sustainable transportation systems that ensure their right to the city in Latin America.

Women make up one of the groups most vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather conditions brought on by climate change. That’s why any mitigation efforts need to consider their unique needs, as well as those of other marginalized groups, such as youth, ethnic minorities, and Indigenous populations. But what does a gender responsive approach to climate resilient development look like exactly?

More likely to trip chain or to transport children and groceries, women around the world stand to benefit from easily accessible cargo bikes.

Some may claim that we are at an all-time high in gender equality. However, in recent weeks we have seen dramatic cuts in women’s rights, clearly questioning the progress in gender equality that our mothers and sisters have fought for.

This blog post is part II of the blog series on Awaress, Advocacy, and the role of data in addressing sexual harassment on Public Transport. Read part I now: Awareness, Advocacy, and the role of data in addressing sexual harassment on Public Transport – WomenMobilizeWomen

At this point in history, it is no secret that when moving in public spaces women experience high rates of sexual harassment. The personal accounts by women globally have led to the realisation that something needs to be done – at least among women’s organisations focused on improving the quality of the experience in the built environment for women and non-binary and transgender individuals.

For most of the 21st century, cities around the world have embraced a resurgence in the power of cycling to move people in sustainable and active ways. However, with infrastructure often slow to catch up to the need, the image of cycling has tended to appear difficult, athletic, and more suited to men.

To realize the positive intersection of feminism and the 15-minute city, concrete and inclusive land-use and mobility policies are necessary. The explosion of interest in the concept of the 15-minute city among many urbanist planners and advocates can be explained in its more human-scale proposition for how cities should be planned.

Accessible and affordable public transportation plays a key role in keeping both people and economies moving. So when many countries around the world introduced restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in 2020, they also made great efforts to ensure that public transportation continued operating. 

While it is simple to identify how women and men are differently impacted by transportation, there is a lack of focus on good practices where gender-aware principles have been successful within transportation planning and implementation.

Toxic masculinity is built into the fabric of our urban spaces, writes Leslie Kern, author of new book Feminist City. And the results aren’t just divisive – they can be lethal

It’s time for women to be front and center in the movement for cities.

Read the Transscript of TUMI Podcast Talking Transport Transformation episode 5: Keeping women safe with Elsa Marie D’Silva

Traffic, houses, infrastructure: cities are planned for the needs of men, says urban planner Eva Kail. In Vienna, she has been doing things differently for 30 years.

Many cities are built by men for their needs: The main concern is to get to work efficiently. Bad luck for anyone with a stroller, shopping bags or a wheelchair. Is that the way it has to be?

In India in the 90s cycling started a social movement for women´s rights.

Bicycles empowered the women’s rights movement, which in turn changed the world.