No sustainable development without engendered local governance!

UCLG Women

UCLG is convinced that communities in which all citizens are empowered to participate in social, economic and political opportunities are instrumental in the eradication of poverty.

Achievements of the MDGs, in particular those related to women’s advancement are often linked with the quality of basic service provision that local governments are able to offer. In an increasingly urbanising world, the development agenda will need to address Gender-Sensitive Local Governance and Sustainable Urbanization if the expectations expressed by citizens around the world are to be met.

Increased collaboration between grassroots women, locally elected women, UN Agencies and other development actors will be instrumental to bridge the challenges of inequalities and new types of poverty that urban dwellers, and in particular slum dwellers, will need to deal with.

Elected women representatives that contribute to the work of UCLG Women, including the networks of elected women of Latin America REDAMUGOL, of Africa REFFELA, and of Metropolis, would like to stress that at least four notions will need to be included in the new development agenda and will contribute to greater empowerment of women and the achievements of the MDGs.

Special attention to Sustainable Urbanization

A stand alone-goal should be transformative and integrative – led by a multi-sector and integrated territorial approach, linking urban and rural land use, including informal settlements, with the provision of basic services such as food, energy, water and sanitation, mobility and opportunities for employment –especially, green jobs, sustained inclusive and equitable economic growth, as well as resilience.

Targeting equality and the empowerment of women

Targets will need to be defined addressing the key elements of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and full implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in particular at local level. 

Promotion of more women in local decision making

Participation and good local governance are cornerstones for the progress of local democracy. Elected local governments play an important role in ensuring inclusive, transparent, accountable, democratic and rights based institutions. Particular attention should be devoted to the participation of women and other vulnerable groups in local institutions, both through traditional forms of public consultation and innovative forms of participation but also, and in particular, through the promotion of more women in political decision making. 

Gender sensitive service provision

Local governments, through the responsibilities they assume as public service provider have a key role to play in empowering women. Urban planning and slum upgrading have a direct impact on the living conditions of women, who form the majority of the poor, and are often the first to be negatively impacted by a lack of services.

It is therefore essential to ensure that local governments have the financial, technical and legal capacities to provide universal basic services, which contribute to making the environment safer for women.  

At the occasion of #CSW58 UN Women, the Huairou Commission, UN Habitat and UCLG will be launching a Global Partnership for Engendered Local Governance which will foster the development of supports and exchange networks of grassroots and elected women.

Visit UCLG Women blog.

 

Happy Women’s Day 2014! Help us spread the message!

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UCLG women
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