District 22 Conference September 2009 Access All Areas Safe Cities in Our Community

District 22 ConferenceSeptember 2009

Access All Areas

Safe Cities in Our Community

D22 Conference September 2009

Zonta has joined with UNIFEM on the “Safe Cities Project for Women”• The project aims are to:

• define and document the connections between reduced gender-violence and improved urban planning

• launch campaigns to sensitizese the public to the issues surrounding violence against women in urban areas

• empower local women, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to promote and develop public policies, with gender perspective that help ensure women's safety


Project aims cont.• build specific opportunities for collaborations

between decision-makers, municipal planners and local women's NGO's to adapt policies and urban planning

• disseminate information on lessons learned and successful practices to the public, media and relevant stakeholders


Alignment with ZI’s objectives:• address the legal status of women by establishing

legal protection of the rights of women on an equal basis with men (CEDAW, Articles 2,3)

• enhance the political status of women by their participation in policy formulation on women's safety (CEDAW Article 7)

• support the human rights of women by prevention of violence (CEDAW Article 1)


Alignment D22 Strategic Plan:

Aligning projects with ZI Mission and Objects (key priority 1).

Legislative Awareness and Advocacy (key priority 6)

• Be solutions focussed!


Access All Areas• While the projects undertaken so far concentrate

on severe problems in South American cities, the challenge for us is to apply the lessons learned to our own communities.

• This presentation is entitled “Access All Areas” because it is the right of women to enjoy all the amenities the community has to offer, and not be deterred from activities because of fear of violence they might encounter.


Daily Impacts on Women• Violence, or the fear of violence can have a

detrimental effect on many aspects of a woman's life.

• women may be reluctant to take up work in such areas, which limits their earning capacity

• there may be recreational areas where women will be unable to take up healthy exercise because of fear of assault

• women on their own may be too fearful to enjoy the cultural facilities on offer in parts of the city.


• Remember that women pay taxes and rates which support city infrastructure, yet can feel disbarred from making full use of the amenities they have helped pay for.


More than physical harm…..

• Women are part of the business community of their locations.

• Threats of violence and unruly public behaviour can have a very detrimental effect on businesses trading in such areas, especially those that depend on the tourist trade

• They also have a tendency to markedly reduce property values and dissuade newcomers to the area

• So women can be harmed by lack of safety not only as citizens who cannot fully access their city, but also as business owners and traders.


What can Zontians do?• How can you promote the safety of women in your

community?• We don't have the capacity to install better lighting

in streets, or to ensure better security measures in urban areas, or to organise the re-education of vandals and brawlers who are spoiling our cities.

But we know who can!


Advocacy is a powerful weapon

• Service to women is not just raising money for good causes, but also in trying to improve the quality of their life by advocating for better conditions for women.

• No action will be taken to address an issue of concern to us, unless authorities are made aware there is a problem which is worrying members of the community.


Some steps to undertake

• Alert community leaders that something must be done to ensure that safety of women in the city is the norm.

• Find ways to liaise with regional councils to get safety on their forward planning.

• Advocate that women's groups be included in discussions on measures to be taken. Often it will be male health officers who look after safety planning, and they may not take into account the different needs of women


More steps…• Involve local media and business groups to make

them aware that it is in the interest of all the community that it be considered a safe place in which to live and work.

• Now it’s time for your ideas!• What are our local issues?


Small Group Sessions• Identify areas of concern in your community and

why they are of concern. It may be that the CBD becomes a no-go area after dark, or there may be walking tracks that it is unsafe for women to use, or your area may have a problem unique to it. Please outline to your group your special area of concern.

• What forms of advocacy might get results?

Documents

District 22 Conference September 2009 Access All Areas Safe Cities in Our Community