SAFE CITIES Red Mujer y Habitat Latina America & Women in Cities International SAFE CITIES Principal Authors: Melanie Lambrick and Liliana Rainero Secondary Authors: Caroline Andrew, Marisa Canuto, Vivien Carli, Fran Klodawsky Marisol Saborido and Kathryn Travers Research Assistants: Cecilia Culasso, Georgia Marman and Soledad Pérez Translators: Verónica Torrecillas and Zachary Wolff Contributors: Caroline Andrew, University of Ottawa (Canada) Laura Capobianco, International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (Canada) Holly Johnson, University of Ottawa (Canada) Fran Klowdawsky, Carleton University (Canada) Anne Michaud, expert consultant on women‘s safety (Canada) Erica Reade, Huairou Commission (USA) Kalpana Viswanath, Jagori (India) Carolyn Whitzman, University of Melbourne (Australia) SAFE CITIES INTRODUCTION AND KEY CONCEPTS What does this module contain? What are the objectives of this module? Who is the audience for this module? What are safe cities and communities for women and girls? Why focus on safe cities and communities for women and girls? What are some of the challenges? What initiatives dedicated to safe cities and communities for women and girls have been developed to date? GUIDING PRINCIPLES Programming should be based on an understanding that men and women have different experiences of living and working in the city (some based on gender inequality) programming should work to actively include women and girls in every step of the process and should make connections with women‘s organizations programming should always focus on both women‘s and girl‘s actual safety and women‘s and girl‘s perceived sense of safety programming should focus on creating gender-based/gender-mainstreamed policies and programmes programming should focus on the needs and ideas of each different city or community programming should to keep gender as main consideration in all urban planning and design processes programming on safe cities for women should be based on a clear understanding that making cities safer for women makes cities safer for everyone MAIN STRATEGIES Public awareness community mobilization capacity development safe public spaces for women and girls safe public transit for women and girls national municipal policies and laws for safe cities for women and girls Safe Cities 2 February 2010 PROGRAMME PLANNING AND DESIGN Build partnerships within the city or community o General o Identify Potential Partners o Develop Strategies to be Inclusive of Local Government and Civil Society o Define the Parameters and Objectives of the Partnership o Determine the Partnership Structure and Choose a Lead o Assess the Availability of Resources o Articulate Clear and Consistent Information Flow and Communication Among Partners Identify safety problems for women and girls o general o ask questions about women's safety in the city o monitor when, where and by whom violence against women and girls occurs o compile and collect different sources of information decide on a conceptual framework o general o be clear on key concepts and definitions o set goals, objectives and outcomes o develop a mission statement o define roles and responsibilities decide on specific strategies o general o consider different approaches o coordinate the different approaches o create a workplan and timeline plan for sustainability of the initiative o general o think about sustainability from the beginning o aim for a well-balanced programme o institutionalize the programme within the community o set aside resources for programme monitoring and evaluation o research and learn from what others have done o embrace compromise Safe Cities 3 February 2010 PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION General Guidance Public Awareness Community Mobilization Capacity Development Safe Public Spaces Safe Public Transit o Recognize the barriers to women‘s safe, efficient and affordable travel o Incorporate safety services and design features specifically for the needs of women and girls in public transit systems o Pressure transit bodies and governments to incorporate consideration of gender into the everyday operations of transit services. National and Municipal Policies and Laws o Develop safety policies with a gender focus o Ensure that safety policies are implemented using a gender approach o Monitoring and evaluating gender-based safety policies MONITORING AND EVALUATION Create Mechanisms for Monitoring Create Mechanisms for Evaluation REFERENCES Safe Cities 4 February 2010 INTRODUCTION AND KEY CONCEPTS What does this module contain? This module contains distilled knowledge - lessons learned and step-by-step guidance for creating safe cities and communities for women and girls. The module includes a compendium of tools, manuals, training modules and other materials (text, audio and visual) on ―how to‖ create safe cities and communities for women and girls to live a life free of violence. Also, this resource contains case studies and summaries of good practices, and a registry of regional resource centres and experts associated with safe cities for women. The module contains tools that focus on the identification and prevention of gender- based violence against women in cities, particularly in public spaces. While the concept of safe cities is broader, this module currently focuses primarily on cities. This approach prioritizes the advancement of women‘s rights to create and live in safe cities and communities. Within this approach, special emphasis is given to violence prevention, government accountability, community mobilization and participation, women‘s empowerment, and the improvement of neighbourhoods and the urban environment in general. Together, these strategies are meant to enhance social relations and trust among all citizens in a community. What are the objectives of this module? The module has three main goals: to support the implementation of commitments and ongoing work that addresses violence against women and girls, especially in public spaces; to collect, systematize and make available information, knowledge-to-date and resources on the topic of safe cities for women and girls; and to promote ongoing learning and knowledge-sharing on the topic of safe cities and communities for women and girls. Who is the audience for this module? The module addresses all actors involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of initiatives and programmes that aim to create safe cities for women. An initiative for the promotion of safe cities for women must be conducted by several actors working together. Government officials, non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, and women‘s and feminist organizations are key participants. Other key Safe Cities 5 February 2010 participants include policy makers, urban planners and designers, and everyday users of the cities and public spaces. What are safe cities and communities for women and girls? A safe city is one in which both the government and civil society guarantee women‟s rights in all spheres. A safe city is one that promotes the elimination of gender-based violence, while at the same time promoting equal opportunities for men and women in all the spheres of social, economic, cultural and political life (access to employment, education, political participation, resources and leisure, etc.). In general, those cities whose public spaces are more intensely used by diverse citizens conducting different activities at different hours of the day are safer for all, and particularly for women. This is because variety and diversity tend to promote tolerance and peace among citizens. In addition, if there are more people present on the street during the day, there are more ―eyes on the street‖, which can make it more difficult for an assault or robbery to occur. In order to promote city space that is well-used and diverse, it is necessary to ensure a pleasant environment, with good accessibility and lighting, ample seating (or public furniture) for different uses, and good maintenance, among other factors, in order to promote people's stay in and use of public spaces. If public spaces lack these factors, they can become neglected, run down, and be or feel more dangerous to women and others. A safe city for women and girls is… A city where women and girls can enjoy public spaces and public life without fear of being assaulted. A city where violence is not exercised against women and girls in either the home or the street. A city where women and girls are not discriminated against and where their economic, social, political, and cultural rights are guaranteed. A city where women and girls participate in making decisions that affect the community in which they live. A city where the state guarantees the human rights of all people without excluding women and girls. A city where the state and local government take actions to provide attention, prevention, and punishment for violence against women and girls. Safe Cities 6 February 2010 A city where the state and local government guarantee women‘s and girls' access to justice. Why focus on safe cities and communities for women and girls? Women and girls experience situations of violence that are different from those experienced by men. Violence that is inflicted against women and girls because of their gender is one of the worst discriminations that they suffer. This discrimination is a consequence of a patriarchal culture based on unequal relations of power between men and women. Women and girls are sexually harassed, in streets, in