SDG-5 and SDG-11 critical drivers of the Leave No one Behind aspiration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The panel discussion will be composed of speakers from diverse sectors (representing national and local government, women’s grassroots/organisations, donors and UN). Drawing on experiences in UN Women’s comprehensive evidence based and human rights based programming, the session will provide the opportunity to discuss good practices as well as methodologies and tools available to ensure the key role of gender-responsive efforts to make safe and sustainable cities, while ensuring the development results reach the most marginalized first.

Practices, tools and lessons learned will be shared to ensure that the New Urban Agenda implements its vision and commitment to guarantee a safe and secure environment and public spaces in cities for women and girls to work, live and participate without fear and experience of violence. Panellist will share their vision on how imperative it is to include the needs and viewpoints of all women who are often at risk of violence given experiences of discrimination, and lack of access to services such as Indigenous women, children, youth, the elderly, migrants and refugees, street vendors, LGBQTI individuals, sex workers, people with disabilities, etc. and how gender-responsive programmes empower not only women but communities by providing safe spaces to contribute their insights, skills, and expertise in the planning and operation and maintenance of safe, inclusive, and sustainable cities and public spaces, ensuring that they exercise agency and influence policy-decision making as well as take full and equal advantage of the opportunities of the public space, meet basic rights and claim their own human rights. The planning and management of spaces from a gender perspective, with dedicated budgets to support its implementation is critical to consolidate transformative progress for the realization of the ambition of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and make the cities safer for women and girls in a meaningful, comprehensive way.

Key words: gender equality, empowerment of women and girls, grassroots women, human rights, sustainable, inclusive and resilience cities, public space, inclusion, sustainable development, marginalized communities, civil society, participatory and inclusive planning, gender responsive implementation.

Outcomes:

The panel discussion aims to:

Conceptually identify and discuss the determinants to ensure a gender-responsive implementation of the New Urban Agenda in fully alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Identify good practices that contribute to strengthen the linkages between sustainable urbanization and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, while ensuring leaving no one behind and reaching the furthest first.

Focus on implementation strategies consistent with SDG 5 and SDG 11, including tools for the application of: knowledge of what works; lessons from the successes of pioneering cities; smart gender-responsive planning and good governance; training and capacity building; public engagement; and networking and advocacy.