All the inhabitants of a city do not have a common, universal urban experience. Building infrastructure in cities that is gender-blind can lead to the social and economic exclusion of a large section of the population, as it affects their ability to access, navigate and participate in the city.
Seeing from a gender lens, cities often fail to address women’s needs of infrastructure and mobility in the following ways:

• All over the world, nearly one in three women do not have access to safe, inclusive toilets.
• A lack of safe public space and parks, coupled with unaffordable accommodation, promote gender-based violence and exclusion, especially for older and disabled women.
• Nursing mothers often find themselves in a quandary when they are out in public and they need to nurse.
• Women are disproportionately burdened with household tasks such as collecting water, which requires them to travel long distances, leaving less time for other activities like education and employment.
  • A study by the National Commission for Women found that on an average, a rural woman in India walks more than 14000 km a year just to fetch water.
• According to the Women and Mobility study conducted in Bhopal, Gwalior and Jodhpur, 50% of sexual harassment cases against women in cities took place while using public transport and 16% while waiting.
• Usually, women tend to travel more chain trips and non-work related trips, compared to men due to dual responsibility.

Considering these issues, there is a need for reforming the urban infrastructure and mobility services across all fronts, some of which include:

• Physical infrastructure: It includes well-lit streets, footpaths, free public toilets that are open 24/7, parks, benches, etc.
  • Women are more likely to travel during off-peak hours. Thus, it needs to be ensured that transit stops and stations are well surveilled, as they are often deserted during off-peak hours.
• Social infrastructure: It includes community housing, shelter homes, public child-care facilities, and skill development centers.
  • Safe, free and comfortable spaces for women to stop and nurse their babies in the public realm must be designed into the city.
• Mobility infrastructure: It includes free or low-cost public transport, particularly quality bus transport ensuring adequate frequency and connectivity, and well-maintained bus stands.
  • Women are amongst the biggest users of public transport across Indian cities. Therefore, establishing well-connected and safe public transport is a must.
  • Hiring more female staff and providing women exclusive transport facilities can be utilized to address their safety concerns.
  • There should be focus on improving walking and cycling infrastructure to ease first and last mile connectivity for women.
  • New routes and schedules should be introduced based on data on women’s mobility.
• Institutional infrastructure: It includes public hospitals and reproductive health facilities, mental health facilities, legal aid centers, one-stop crisis centers.
  • Their location makes all the difference in their accessibility to women. Thus, these institutions should be established in the vicinity of almost all residential areas.

In this context, women representatives and leaders can bring the needs and requirements of women users to the forefront in the urban planning debate and help realize their right to the city and inclusive urban development.