
Women Friendly Cities Challenge
The Women Friendly Cities Challenge (WFCC) is a living virtual library of Wise Practices from around the world that help make cities more liveable for equity-deserving genders. Through the WFCC, we can share knowledge, inspire innovative practices, and learn about new ways of working together to make cities around the world where everyone can belong.
The idea was born at the United Nations Habitat III conference in October 2016, and launched at the World Urban Forum in February 2018.
About Women Friendly Cities
What is a women friendly city?
Simply put, a women friendly city is a city where equity-deserving genders are able to thrive and live full, safe and meaningful lives, including Indigenous, Black, Asian, and all racialized and marginalized women and girls. This requires equitable access to services including housing, education, justice and medical treatment, participation in decision making and leadership, and for equity-seeking genders to be free from violence in the home and in public spaces.
Why is it important to build women friendly cities?
Today, just over half the world’s people live in urban areas. But modern cities are designed by men and for men, shaping the environment around us to suit men as the default body. By using an intersectional feminist lens to examine all urban issues, we can work towards building cities where everyone can belong with positive impacts on women’s access to income or schools, freedoms and safety, health and agency, and clean environments.
The Women Friendly Cities Challenge envisions a future where cities are inclusive to all.
On the Women Friendly Cities Challenge, you can:
