Sustainable cities and gender: The commitment of women’s networks to the new urban agenda

Abstract

The New Urban Agenda (NAU), approved at the United Nations Habitat III Conference on Hous-ing and Sustainable Urban Development offers a magnificent opportunity to address gender inequalities in urban areas, with a new vision of the cities in the future as engines for economic development, prosper-ity, equal opportunities, social inclusion and gender justice. Women’s networks, which have been effective agents in the drafting of all international sustainable development agendas, have also accompanied, with great mobilization, the entire long and complex way of building the New Urban Agenda, which is the result of an extensive three-year consultation and participation process. The joint work of academics and women in different organizations, played a very important role in introducing the gender perspective in the New Urban Agenda and continues with tenacity throughout the implementation process, so that words can turn specifically into structural policies for change and equality.