Video: the Director of UNICRI, Antonia De Meo, on Cities of the future: sustainability, security and integration. A gender perspective. "In view of the global recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, including women’s voices in urbanization policies can open-up new opportunities to re-think cities and achieve sustainable development, peace, security and human rights protection.
As the world population has reached 7.8 billion and it is projected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050, people are increasingly concentrating in urban settlements. In 2018, the UNDESA Population Division estimated that 55% of the global population was residing in urban areas, against 30% of 1950, and 68% projection in 2050.
Growth in urban population is driven by different factors, intersecting with the three dimensions of sustainable development: social, economic, and environmental. Better living conditions, education and employment opportunities, availability of public and private services, transport and infrastructure have traditionally attracted people to cities, which have been developing as hubs for cultural, economic and social growth and innovation.
However, urban expansion can also create adverse effects such as environmental degradation, overburdened infrastructure, as well as deepened inequalities in income, health and education, social segregation, crime and violence. Poverty and crime rates are generally higher in cities that in rural areas: breakdown in cultural values and social networks, exclusion of youth at risk and minority populations, corruption, lack of trust in public authorities and a culture of lawlessness can all contribute to negatively influence urbanization processes, while urban criminality hampers economic growth and weakens state institutions, thereby undermining efforts to promote sustainable development and reduce poverty.
This webinar is organized by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in collaboration with the Women 20 Engagement Group of the G20 and the Association Stati Generali delle Donne. It aims to discuss the challenges of building an inclusive and sustainable urbanization process, where nobody is left behind and where the benefits are shared by all, especially by the poorer and more vulnerable populations, and where the gender considerations prevail as reflected in the SDG Agenda 2030, in the overall G20 Italian Presidency framework and, in particular, in the W20 Engagement Group agenda.
Human scale design, accessible basic health and social services and housing, policies to reduce marginalization and strengthen social support through education, vocational training employment, sport initiatives, green spaces, technological innovation, protection and promotion of cultural heritage, and a secure and safe environment for all are the main factors that contribute to the sustainable development of cities.
The webinar also aims to highlight the importance of including a gender perspective in all urbanization processes, in view of the global recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Globally, poverty and vulnerability have been hitting women and girls harder in terms of unequal distribution of resources and opportunities; limited access to justice; oppression, violence and social exclusion. Reducing vulnerabilities, particularly crime and victimization related to youth, women and girls, elderly people and marginalized populations is therefore fundamental to ensure development and social cohesion in urban environment.
The application of a gender lens would enhance the inclusion of women’s voices in the planning, design and revitalization of urban spaces and would create a new governance through infrastructural and architectural planning that would reflect the needs of both men and women.
Including women’s voices in urbanization policies can open up opportunities to re-think cities as places where sustainable development, peace, the environment and human rights protection work in synergy towards the achievement of the SDG Agenda 2030.
The debate aims to provide a contribution to Agenda 2030 SDG5: Gender equality; SDG 8 decent work; SDG10: Reduced inequalities, SDG11: Sustainable cities and SDG16 Peace, justice and strong institutions.
The webinar will be in Italian language, with English simultaneous interpretation.
Join the Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88194234461?pwd=M3VaYWhCWno5alRWblcvbnhHQ2xqQT09
ID 881 9423 4461 Passcode: 128284
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc8egOYFSK9q0-zGl2gBtdw
Watch live stream on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc8egOYFSK9q0-zGl2gBtdw
AGENDA
Moderators: Isa Maggi, Stati Generali delle Donne; Alessandra Liquori, UNICRI
09:00 – 09:30
Musical ouverure: Giovanna Ferrara
Antonia Marie De Meo, Director of UNICRI
Elena Bonetti, Italian Minister for Family and Equal Opportunities
Teresa Bellanova, Vice-Minister Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility
Michele di Bari, Chief Department, Civil Liberties and Migration, Italian Ministry of Interior
Flavio Siniscalchi, Chief Department, Anti-Drugs Strategies
Leonardo Bencini, Director, Strategy, Global Processes and International Organizations, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
09:30 – 09:45 The contribution of W20
Linda Laura Sabbadini, Chair, Women20, G20 Engagement Group
10:00 – 11:15 Round-table
Prof. Francesca Moraci, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria; Scientific Commitee Stati generali delle Donne
Prof. Lucia Krasovec Lucas, Politecnico of Milan, Scientific Committee Stati generali delle Donne
Anna Alvazzi del Frate, President, Alliance of NGOs against organized crime, Independent Expert, Global Initiative against Organized Crime
Carmelo Celona, Architect, Urbanist and Specialist in Urban Diagnostics. Member of the Scientific Committee of Legambiente Sicilia and of C.E.T.R.I. “Cercule Europèen pour la Troisième Rèvolution Industrielle”
Duccio Carlo Mazarese, UNICRI Programme Officer, Expert on Urban Security and Security Governance
11:15 – 12:30 Mayors of Città delle donne (Women’s cities)
Luigi De Magistris, Mayors of Naples
Tiziana d’Oppido, Mayors of Matera
Leoluca Orlando, Mayors of Palermo
Mariacristina Gribaudi, Mayors of Venezia
Ilaria Caprioglio, Mayors of Savona
Michele Conia, Mayors of Cinquefrondi (Reggio Calabria)
Stefano Pisani, Mayors of Pollica
Marco Bucci, Mayors of Genova
Photo by: Rémi Boyer
