Today, 8 March, ICLEI Europe recognises International Women’s Day. This annual commemeration is about striving towards a more gender-equal world. On this day, it is important to celebrate the achievements of women and gender minorities, while also calling out areas where inequalities remain, and elevating female voices. This mission is important in all sectors of society – and urban sustainability is no exception. Fostering just, sustainable transitions in cities requires accounting for the unique needs of women.
To this end, ICLEI Europe is hard at work promoting resources, creating spaces for discussion of the gender dimension of sustainability, as well as amplifying the voices of women involved in sustainable just transitions.
The DECIDE project, in which ICLEI Europe is a partner, is hosting a webinar today (10:00–11:00 CET) to highlight the important and unique role that women play in energy transition in Europe. Clear gender differences exist in the ongoing energy transition, including the gender make up of those making energy related decisions. This leaves open a clear need to discuss how to forge opportunities for, and to equip, women and gender minorities to engage in the energy transition. Furthermore, several energy challenges, from energy poverty to representation at decision-making levels, are impacted by gender. The webinar discussion will thus also convene experts to discuss these barriers and how to overcome them.
The ICLEI Procurement Team is raising awareness with socially responsible public procurement (SRPP), which is about achieving positive social outcomes in public contracts. Socially responsible procurement means taking into account fair conditions and sustainable sourcing in the costs of a product. SRPP has the potential to contribute to the creation of job opportunities for those with a distance to the labor market, better accessibility for people with disabilities, transparenet and ethical supply chains, and gender equality. A European Commision video, produced in collaboration with ICLEI Europe, best illustrates this important topic.
The CIVITAS Initiative, whose Secretariat is led by a consortium including ICLEI Europe, is also taking today to highlight the importance of considering gender in sustainable mobility and transport. It is highlighting three young, female mobility leaders – all of whom were active in last year’s CIVITAS Forum – and has shared these women’s perspectives on the future of mobility. Read the article here. For more information on how to ensure that urban mobility planning is gender-sensitive, consult the European Commission’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) Topic Guide on Addressing Gender Equity and Vulnerable Groups in SUMPs, authored by Ana Drăguțescu, Coordinator at ICLEI Europe.
ICLEI Europe is committed to fostering more gender inclusive and equal cities and to just transitions as a whole. To learn more about ICLEI Europe’s Just Transition stance read more.