Why SA cities aren’t designed for women

WORLD Planning Day takes place on November 8 and is intended to recognise and promote the role of planning in creating livable communities. For many in our country, their communities are far from livable, and this is especially true for women.

With more than half of the population of South Africa being female, our country’s cities need to be planned with women in mind.

Cities like Vienna, in Austria, are taking gender into account when forming public policy; this is known as “gender mainstreaming”. Now this isn’t about “painting trees pink” as some critics have sarcastically expressed, but about ensuring that all gender perspectives are considered in public policy.

Here is a list of 10 ways our South African cities are not designed for the needs of women, and ways they can be improved:

1. Public transport is not accessible enough

Providing accessible public transport would seemingly improve the lives of all our citizens, so why would it specifically impact women? Well, on average, women use public transport more than men.

2. The streets are not well-lit By lighting our streets, our parks, our taxi ranks and other public spaces, we remove opportunities for women to be attacked in public.

3. Our pavements are too few and too narrow

As mentioned, women use public transport more on a daily basis due to their family and childcare responsibilities. Women need pavements to push strollers or wheelchairs.

4. There are too many stairs and not enough ramps.

The absence of ramps affects women in their ability to transport children.

5. There is a lack of safe public restrooms for women.

Public restrooms need to be indoors, as women are vulnerable.

6. There is a lack of baby changing facilities.

Without baby changing facilities, travelling with children is limited, impacting on overall female productivity.

7. Our parks are not designed for girls.

What researchers found was that girls were less assertive than the boys; so when there was competition on who gets to use the park space, the boys usually won.

8. There aren’t enough affordable and accessible childcare centres at the workplace. Access to childcare facilities translates into women earning better salaries.

9. There aren’t enough women making decisions regarding our public spaces.

10. Gender mainstreaming will not solve all gender-based issues, and it definitely does not intend to reinforce traditional gender roles, but it does take a more pragmatic view of the needs of women in cities and rural areas.

World Town Planning Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the planning profession and the need for good quality planning to ensure livable neighbourhoods and well-functioning villages, towns, cities and metropoles.