By Aarya Sharma

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In an effort to transform the Indian cities into places that are secure, accessible and feel welcoming to women and the other marginalised groups, the Ministry of Urban Housing and Urban Affairs introduced the “Gender-Inclusive Urban Infrastructure Policy” in October 2023. In order to alleviate the enduring safety concerns by offering public facilities and promoting acceptance in urban development, this policy believes that urban areas must adjust to the various demands of all the inhabitants.

India’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGD’S), particularly those who pertains to gender equality and sustainable cities, the policy aims towards a major step towards equitable city spaces by taking gendered notions into account while developing the infrastructure.

BACKGROUND

The special requirements by the women and gender minorities have historically been neglected over the decades in city infrastructure development which has often resulted in the marginalisation and the increased vulnerability in the urban environments. The majority of these issues are specifically concerned to the inadequate illumination, lethal public transportation and a dearth of easily accessible, hygienic facilities.

Women and Gender Minorities are substantially impacted by all of these which are the significant gaps in many cities because the public areas are not planned with the factors like for the personal safety accessible to all the gender groups in their mind. To the result, the public space who ought to promote the involvement in the community and a feeling of inclusiveness frequently encourages vulnerability, alienation and even terror. In order to close this gap, the Gender-Inclusive Urban Infrastructure Policy promotes a change from a conventional urban planning to gender specific demands whose first priority is to encourage safe surroundings with inclusive environment.

KEY FEATURES

The objective to make the cities more welcoming to women and other marginalised genders, the Gender Inclusive Urban Infrastructure Policy incorporates a number of crucial initiatives such as implementing Gender Assessment (GIAs) for the new infrastructure projects as it is one of the main requirements. These evaluations have guaranteed that gender-specific requirements are taken into account right from the start by allowing municipal planners to create areas that can put safety, accessibility and inclusion as their first priority.

GIAs urge the planners to go beyond a one-size-fits-all strategy by integrating the input from all the gender groups and minorities which will make public spaces more accommodating to the requirements of all the locals. A fundamental component of this strategy focuses on developing public spaces safe which includes the upgrades like better street lighting and a better public transportation system to promote diversity and community friendly areas.

These measures can address common concerns of the community by reducing the incidents of harassment. Additionally, the policy also emphasizes Inclusive Decision Making by mandating that 30% of urban planning committee members solely be women and members of the gender minorities. This inclusive approach can ensure that diverse voices shape the city planning by allowing a variety of perspectives which can result in an equitable, people centred urban designs.

KEY ISSUES

The execution of this policy has fraught with the significant obstacles, despite its progressive objectives. Firstly, there is a substantial data gap which makes it difficult to properly design infrastructure projects in many cities because of the mere absence of thorough data on how various groups use metropolitan areas. Some of the advocacy groups have carried out surveys to these initiatives which are largely dispersed an there is also a little integration of this data into official municipal planning.

Another valuable concern is a barrier which points towards the lack of funds. The budgets which are allocated towards urban development sometimes have conflicted priorities and funds for gender specific upgrades like safer public transportation, improved street lighting and easily accessible restrooms may be deprioritized. Without a specific funding these gender-sensitive innovations can run the risk of being unnoticed which would ultimately reduce the policy’s intended impact.

An effective implementation always requires the strong coordination across the Government-National, State and Local. However, with the differing opinions and precedence with the fragmented jurisdictions it could complicate the collaboration which can lead to the inconsistent applications of policy across the places. As a result, some of the cities may advance in a gender inclusive infrastructure while the others lag in creating regional disparities.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Certain proactive recommendations can address current issues along with guaranteed lasting effects in order to successfully achieve the objectives of the policy. Working along with the neighbourhood can be possible to fill in the existing data gaps and gain a better nuanced understanding of the ways in which different gender groups use the public areas.

Cities can obtain a detailed information by gathering focus groups, surveys and workshops which will provide a result in an inclusive urban planning. Further, setting aside money specifically for gender-sensitive upgrades shows an actual commitment to equity by facilitating significant change and encouraging active community participation through online and in person channels for the feedback ensuring that the locals inform policy changes.

CONCLUSION

It is a crucial step towards building urban areas where everyone is treated with dignity, safety and are valued. The policy makes it possible by opening a door to feel more inclusive along with the fair surroundings, it can establish a new benchmark for urban planning by making Indian cities a global leader in safety and inclusion for a wide range of diverse populations.

REFERENCES

• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. (2023). India’s Gender-Inclusive Urban Infrastructure Policy Draft. Retrieved from https://www.mohua.gov.in
• UN Women. (2023). Cities and Gender: Bridging the Gap in Urban Infrastructure. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org
• Centre for Policy Research. (2023). Understanding Gender Inequality in Urban Spaces. Retrieved from https://www.cprindia.org
• World Bank. (2023). Gender Inclusion in Public Spaces: Lessons from Global Cities. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org
• The Hindu. (2023, October 15). Why Gender-Inclusive Urban Infrastructure Matters. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com