World Bank’s Gender Toolkit for Mobility and Public Space

World Bank recently launched Gender Toolkit enabling gender responsive urban mobility and public spaces. It aims of World Bank’s Gender Toolkit for Mobility and Public Space is to bridge the knowledge gap exists between policy making and program implementation for gender responsive urban mobility ad public spaces in India. This toolkit gives a four pillar framework for urban bodies for better policy formulation and its implementation.

As we all know that women are the biggest users of public transport in Indian cities and in urban areas, lower income group have higher usage of public transport. Urban transport system are often not designed to account for gender based difference in public space. Lack of safe urban public transport deter women from accessing promising economic opportunities.

• The first pillar focus on accessing the ground situation which includes understanding gender difference in mobility pattern and safety concern, identify gaps in current policies and legal framework and gap in institutional capacity.
• Second pillar focus on strengthening planning and policies which includes integration gender lens in new and existing policies and plans, introduce gender inclusivity in decision making.
• The third pillar focus on building capacity and raise awareness which includes mandating training and capacity building programs for duty bearers and forge partnership for raising awareness and enabling community based action campaign.
• The fourth or last pillar focus on improving infrastructure and services which includes enhancing women safety on public spaces and apply a gender lens on infrastructure design and public transport services.

• Delhi’s Government has made public transport for women completely free which enhanced the participation of women in economic activity.
• To enable women safety in public transport, Kerala’s Government started all women cab service called “She Taxi”.
• Integrating Suitable Urban Transport System for Smart Cities (SMART-SUT) which focus on improving transportation system and integrating gender equity solutions.

The toolkit calls for starting a text-based SOS system to indicates distress and awareness campaign, introducing digital ticketing system and common mobility cards etc.