Towards Safer Cities: Report on the Gender and Women Rountable of the fifth World Urban Forum

Held on 24 March 2010 as part of the fifth World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Gender and Women Roundtable “Towards Safer Cities for Women,” was hosted by the Huairou Commission, Women and Cities International and the Women and Habitat Network of Latin America, in partnership with UN-HABITAT. The Roundtable brought together crucial actors in the field of building safer cities for women.

Violence against women in private and public spaces hinders sustainable urban development processes and impedes the ability of women to access opportunities in urban life. These opportunities are related to a citizen's “right to the city,” one of the recurring themes of the Fifth World Urban Forum.

The Roundtable touched on a number of key issues, including women's role in urban planning, the role of women's groups in policy development and implementation, and the importance of including men in community-wide violence reduction efforts. The Roundtable was also a step in the right direction for strengthening collaboration between multiple stakeholders working in partnership to make cities safer for women.