Photo by Bewakoof.com Official on Unsplash

Making Women and Girls visible in Public Spaces

People find joy and solace in public spaces. From the public parks that encourage socialising, to the recreation grounds that facilitate physical activity, to streets, promenades, and waterfronts, these spaces play a crucial role in our lives. However, a closer look at public spaces reveals a concerning pattern: women and girls are often underrepresented. The next time you visit a public park or drive past an open space or drive past a play space and look out the window, take note of how many women and girls you see sitting, chatting, and staying in the area. Going to Saith Park in Trinidad, or National Heroes Square in Barbados, leaves you with the question, where are the women? Why is this the case? Is it the design of the space, societal expectations, or safety concerns?

While public spaces are typically considered gender-neutral objects, open and free to all, women and girls have yet to find their place. What is there for a teenage girl, an elderly woman, a middle-aged woman, or a female adolescent or woman in our public spaces?

Gender-inclusive urban planning has emerged in recent decades as a fertile field for action. It encompasses gender-sensitive advocacy, gender-aware co-governance, community-based research, and gender mainstreaming in planning and design. In the Caribbean region, while there is a burgeoning recognition of the differences in how men and women use public spaces, there is a lack of concrete projects and designs that reflect this knowledge. Adopting more gender-aware methods for public space design and management has the potential to positively impact the region’s efforts toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Public spaces which are gender equitable and empower women and girls to play an active and visible role in society are critical to achieving SDG 11- sustainable cities and communities and SDG 5- gender equality.


Read more on Yugen Stories

Author: Renelle Sarjeant

Recommended by Stephanie Cheung