UTC
18
Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes 24 January 2016 Vancouver, Canada
2 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Urban Thinkers Campus Partner Organizations
Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood House; Coalition of Childcare Advocates of B.C.; Vancouver Status of Women; Women Against Violence Against Women; Remember Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE); Pacific Immigrant Resource Society; Simon Fraser University; Huairou Commission; Housing Justice Canada; SFU Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies; Vancouver and District Labour Council Women’s Committee.
Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication pages do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries regarding its economic system or degree of development. Excerpts may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, the United Nations and its member states.
3 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Table of Contents Urban Thinkers Campus in figures.............................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction to the Urban Thinkers Campus............................................................................................................................... 5 The City We Need principle(s) addressed.................................................................................................................................. 5 Matrix of linkages - TCWN 1.0 vs. new recommendations....................................................................................................... 6 Key outcomes of the UTC........................................................................................................................................................... 9 Key recommendations.............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Key actors................................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Outstanding issues................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Urban solutions must be developed with the people they will impact.................................................................................... 17 Speakers................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
4 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Urban Thinkers Campus in figures
1
273
COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
PARTICIPANTS
10
250
ORGANIZATIONS
CONSTITUENT GROUPS REPRESENTED
Key stakeholders attending Cafés: Local city Councilor and former Deputy Mayor; Chairperson of the Department of Humanities at Simon Fraser University; Chairperson of School of Planning at University of British Columbia; Head of the Social Planning Department at the City of Vancouver; City of Ottawa staff; Executive Director City for All Women Initiative Ottawa; First Nations activist and former city planner; Huairou Commission representative; local planners; Vancity Credit Union representatives; Tiffany Muller Myrdahl, Ruth Wynn Woodward Junior Chair in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University and an urban geographer; Niki Sharma, lawyer, mother and former Park Board Commissioner; Marnie Tamaki, architect and founder of GROOTS Canada; Ellen Woodsworth, Chairperson Women Transforming Cities and former Vancouver City Councillor; Joyce Brown, the executive-director of Working for Change; Lubna Khalid, the coordinator for Women Speak Out; Carmen Contreras, Coordinator Family Resource Programmes Mt. Pleasant Neighbourhood House; Diana Day, First Nations Justice Advocate; Margaret H., sex worker; Fruma Sloan, postal worker; Sara Ortiz Escalante, member of Col.lectiu Punt 6 and Professor and PhD Student in Planning at UBC.
5 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Introduction
Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafés, in cooperation with the Huairou Commission, put an intersectional lens on cities with a focus on grassroots input and achievement: each café was opened by speakers introducing the topic of discussion connected to identifying and creating
The City We Need principle(s) addressed
The City We Need, then the core of the event – the round table discussion – emerged as respectful, collaborative, and inclusive commitment.
1. The city we need is socially inclusive. 2. The city we need is well planned, walkable, and transit-friendly.
Rooms were set up café-style, namely that participants were seated
3. The city we need is a regenerative city.
around several round tables, including one table with a translator for
4. The city we need is economically vibrant and inclusive.
participants who were more comfortable speaking in one of the many
5. The city we need is a safe city.
languages spoken throughout the region.
6. The city we need is a healthy city. 7. The city we need is affordable and equitable.
All participants were encouraged and supported to lend their experiences and expertise to the formulation of strong, action-orientated recommendations for cities in Canada. Events closed with a sharing of recommen-
WomenTCities
dations from each of the groups, statements of intent for moving forward
@womentcities
with the goal to implement women and girl friendly cities. Reports from each of the advance cafés are posted on the Women Transforming Cities website. Topics covered were Women Transforming Cities: Near and Far; making cities work for mothers; Naming public spaces; Women working the night shift; and Ending violence against women. The Grand Tea Party Café was the summation, and included a presentation and discussion of recommendations/characteristics of a women- and girl-friendly city—The City We Need.
27 Jan 2016
Images from the WTC Grand Cafe on Jan. 24, 2016. Courtesy of Lara-Dawn Stiegler. (Thank you Lara!!) #cdnfem... http://fb.me/2AByGAPtz https://twitter.com/womentcities/status/692580882767597568
6 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Matrix of linkages - TCWN 1.0 vs. new recommendations The city we need is socially inclusive.
1. Cities must create and use a feminist intersectional lens framework for policy development and evaluation, programmes, budgets and staffing. 2. Collect disaggregated data that reflects the diversity of women and girls and their needs. We need to know what and where women are in their unpaid, volunteer and low paid work. We need to know who they are. Do they speak English or Cree? Are they immigrants, older or younger, lesbian or trans, living in poverty with their children, are they racialized, able-bodied or differently abled, do they work at night, when and where? 3. Review the core funding requirements of services for all and specifically for Aboriginal women and girls and enhance their compatibility with Aboriginal approaches to social development strategies. Ensure funding requirements emphasize programme sustainability. 4. Award grants to increase the number of culture, community, identity and capacity building projects run by Aboriginal women and girls. 5. Recognize Indigenous history. 6. Develop more cohesive and collaborative services to protect Aboriginal women and girls. 7. Improve cultural competency and sensitivity training; this is true for relations between all cultures. 8. Support immigrant women so they can bring their children with them when they come to Canada. 9. Develop feminist intersectional policies that support immigrant women to fully participate in society including educational and English as a Second (or additional) Language programmes, child care and help to transition. 10. Make Vancouver a Sanctuary City for all women and girls regardless of immigration status. 11. Appoint a city immigrant advocate to highlight important issues and solutions for newcomers and engage their participation in the decision-making process. 12. Run at least 50% women for elected municipal office, representing the diversity of our cities and ensuring Aboriginal candidates. 13. Establish a ward system (elected representation by neighbourhood) to ensure women can afford to run for office. 14. Establish civic campaign spending and donation limits and disclosure of all campaign donations. 15. Create a young women’s committee to City Council to address gender-specific barriers to leadership and promote active civic engagement. 16. Establish Youth Hubs to provide better access to services, information and safe spaces to gather; reinstate the Vancouver “CitizenU” programme so youth can combat discrimination and oppression in their communities. 17. Lower the municipal voting age to 16 to establish and maintain youth representation and civic engagement. 18. Ensure women who work at night have the same access to city services such as affordable, safe and frequent public transit, child care, policing, safe lighting, labour laws, night work benefits, access to unions, and safety plans. 19. Increase the conceptualization and implementation of Accessibility (as an entry point to inclusion) to broaden beyond the always important mobility access questions, to include, for example, gender-neutral washroom accessibility, because without a washroom they can safely use, LGBT2SQ+ persons (and ALL persons in reality) have a hard time participating fully in city life.
7 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
The city we need is well
1. Create and maintain safe, accessible, affordable public transit.
planned, walkable, and
2. Make Vancouver a free transit zone after dark.
transit-friendly.
3. Improve transit in off-peak hours, including late night transit service. 4. Advertise “night bus” stop requests anywhere. 5. Ensure all public spaces are safe and well lit for women, girls, seniors, newcomers etc. 6. Name public spaces and buildings equally after women, with a particular view to include all women especially Aboriginal women. 7. Bring a feminist/intersectional perspective to urban planning. 8. Provide public washrooms that are mother friendly and open at night.
The city we need is a
1. Bring a feminist/intersectional perspective to urban planning.
regenerative city.
2. Create housing and communities where people can live, work and play within walking distance. Ensure cities have housing that all people can afford with parks, schools and childcare centres in close proximity.
The city we need is economically vibrant and inclusive.
1. Make the City a living wage employer, requiring that all contractors hired by the City pay a living wage. Amend the City’s Ethical Purchasing Policy to make living wages a selection factor. 2. Expand public transit services and provide safe transportation to all workers at times when there is no public transportation. 3. Hire, train and maintain all women especially diverse women for jobs where they are under-represented. 4. Formally recognize unpaid and volunteer work. 5. Recognize that individuals and grassroots organisations cannot transform cities and societies without appropriate resources and infrastructure. There is need for systemic change, whether that means reallocation of funding or changes in governmental social welfare strategies, and of course using a feminist intersectional lens on city policies, programmes, budgets and staffing. The off-loading of social welfare work onto the backs of volunteers and grassroots organisations without critical funding and systemic supports is not working. 6. Recognize working at home doing unpaid domestic work, and care-work such as child care, elder care and care for persons with disabilities needs to be seen as important social work contributing to our society. As well, the crucial unpaid work many do in the community needs to be valued. 7. Establish equal pay, and a living wage. The current Living Wage in Vancouver is $20.68 per hour. 8. Work with Unions. They have a role. Low wage jobs are often in unorganized (non-union) work places accompanied by minimum benefits, poor job security and many workers need to work 2 or even 3 jobs just to pay the rent. Earning a Living Wage means working one job and having time to be involved in family and community activities. 9. Work with communities to promote the $10/Day Child Care Plan. 10. Tell the provincial and federal governments that Vancouver expects the $10/Day Child Care Plan to be implemented in BC. 11. Establish quality, affordable and accessible child care. 12. Value, respect and pay well for child care work. Too many child care workers cannot afford the child care they provide. 13. Establish child care that is culturally inclusive and educational, especially for Aboriginal children and families. 14. Establish 24 hour child care. It is needed for those working or studying outside the 9 to 5 hours.
8 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
The city we need is a safe
1. Develop and implement a comprehensive Violence Against Women and Girls Civic Action Plan.
city.
2. Fund women’s organizations. 3. Fund 24/7 comprehensive centres for women and girls in each area of the city. 4. Provide a fully accessible, centrally located Women’s Hub. 5. Work collaboratively and effectively with both the Provincial and Federal Government to end violence against women and girls. 6. Require leaders and all those who interact and work directly or indirectly with Aboriginal women and girls to develop culturally safe approaches to services. 7. Educate men and boys to act to stop violence against women. 8. Develop Emergency preparedness plans that have a feminist intersectional lens using disaggregated data so we know where women are, what languages they speak and how mothers can get their children and elders to safety. 9. Recognize the continued oppression and violence against women and girls, in particular Aboriginal women and girls. 10. Establish safe transit. 11. Establish more education about violence against women. 12. Establish more lighting everywhere to increase women and girls’ ability to navigate the city safely. 13. Install more public phones. 14. Establish more women-only shelters and other women- and girls’-only spaces. 15. Develop more infrastructures and funding for those working to end violence against women. 16. Ensure that employers take seriously the responsibility to provide safe work environments.
The city we need is a healthy
1. Review green policies through a feminist intersectional lens that includes all women’s work and responsibilities.
city.
2. Increase women’s and girls’ access to recreation and community centres, and playing fields, including dedicated spaces and programmes to ensure equality. 3. Create women- and girl-friendly, safe bike routes.
The city we need is affordable and equitable.
1. Generate a housing and homeless strategy that addresses the distinctive and diverse housing and homeless circumstances of women and girls, especially Aboriginal women and girls such as vulnerability to violence, income inequality and family responsibilities. 2. Design and Implement sustainable low-income housing options that focus on women and children. 3. Request that the federal and provincial governments reinvest resources toward housing strategy development, and housing supply and maintenance, with a focus on supporting the diverse housing needs of women and girls. 4. Use city land for public affordable housing.
9 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Key outcomes The Women Transforming Cities UTC identified 5 themes: social inclusion,
Safety/Violence against Women
income and working, childcare, safety, and solidarity that is, working
The reality is that violence in the home, in the community, on the streets,
together. As we do take a feminist intersectional approach, it was no sur-
at work, on transit, everywhere in the city is an ongoing pervasive concern.
prise that these recurring issues also intersected; that is no issue stands
Domestic violence and intimate partner violence continues. Assaults,
alone, that women and girls’ experience in cities is not compartmentalized
harassment, feeling unsafe and even the extremes of violent death are
or separate, but is a complete community experience. These themes ap-
women and girls’ daily experience. The prevalence of violence against
pear as continuing barriers to women and girls truly thriving in cities, and
Aboriginal women and the horrific reality of the Murdered and Missing
to having, as we note in Women Transforming Cities’ vision statement,
Women was and is woven into our society and is now our sad and awful
real social, economic and political power.
context.
Threaded throughout all the discussions was the absolute imperative for
Child Care
women and girls and the work they do and the lives they live to be visi-
The absolute need for quality, affordable and accessible child care and the
ble and heard and reflected in all aspects in our cities, from the naming
need for child care work to be valued, respected and paid well. Too many
of streets, parks and other civic places, to having women in leadership
child care workers cannot afford the child care they provide. Many spoke
positions in council and organizations, to meeting basic needs of housing,
about the importance of child care to be culturally inclusive and educa-
living wage, safety and child care.
tional, especially for Aboriginal children and families and for the need for twenty-four hour child care. We heard about the need for child care at
Social inclusion
community and public events so that all may be able to participate. The
Although much has been accomplished in terms of the acceptance and
lack of good child care impacts women in all aspects of their lives.
rights of diverse peoples living and working in cities, much more remains to be done to improve lived realities. By that we mean, as a café participant
Solidarity/Working Together
said, cities where “every single person can live a life where they are not
Working together at all levels has been identified as important and neces-
just free from discrimination, but celebrated for their uniqueness”.
sary. As one participant said, “We can’t do it without each other.” Individuals, grassroots community groups, businesses and government all need to
Lack of adequate income
sit down at the table to plan to act together. Those with political authority
Low income and poverty framed and constrained transportation issues,
and money must ask and listen to what women and girls need. We heard
child care, working late at night, lack of nutritious food, and the ability to
much about feelings of isolation and how hearing other voices at the Cafés
be successfully engaged in the community. Women still earn significantly
was a reminder that we are not alone, but part of community of women
less than their male counterparts. Unpaid work, lower income and poverty
and girls with intersecting and overlapping concerns.
magnify and intensify all the difficulties that women in cities encounter.
WomenTCities @womentcities
24 Jan 2016
Many, many thanks to everyone who joined us today to celebrate 30 WTC Cafes and the culmination of our UNHabitat... http://fb.me/7HyabSPtn https://twitter.com/womentcities/status/691490686319853569
10 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Key recommendations Resources and infrastructure The city we need has improved infrastructures--better lighting and transportation, benches with no barriers to prevent the homeless or the merely tired from lying down for a nap, ramps for strollers and wheel chairs, places to change and feed kids, public washrooms, and more safe, gender-inclusive community public spaces overall. The city we need has adequate, affordable housing;housing is a fundamental human need and right is not there for all women and girls in this city. Recommendations
• Significant throughout the dialogue process to date has been the recognition that individuals and grassroots organisations cannot transform cities and societies without appropriate resources and infrastructure. There is need for systemic change, whether that means reallocation of funding or changes in governmental social welfare strategies, and of course using a feminist intersectional lens on city policies, programmes, budgets and staffing. The off-loading of social welfare work onto the backs of volunteers and grassroots organisations without critical funding and systemic supports is not working. Social inclusion The city we need focuses on the needs of the most marginalised women and girls, and the needs of aboriginal persons and other diverse, intersecting identities such as age, ability, language, income, culture. Recommendations specific to Aboriginal women and girls Aboriginal women and girls and their allies told us that they want and need change. As one UTC participant said, “the system is not working.” What is required includes: • Recognition of Indigenous history • Recognition of the continued oppression and violence against women and girls, in particular Aboriginal women and girls. • More cohesive and collaborative services to protect Aboriginal women and girls.
11 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Recommendations for social inclusion more broadly
Child Care
• We need improved cultural competency and sensitivity training; this is
The city we need provides culturally inclusive, high quality, accessible,
true for relations between all cultures.
and affordable child care, in groups, homes, on week days, weekends, and evenings.
• Immigrant women need support so they can bring their children with them when they come to Canada.
Recommendations • We heard a dire need for quality, affordable and accessible child care.
• We need policies that support immigrant women to fully participate in society including educational and ESL programs, child care and help to transition.
• Accessibility (as an entry point to inclusion), needs to broaden beyond the always important mobility access questions, to include, for
• Child care work needs to be valued, respected and paid well. Too many child care workers cannot afford the child care they provide. • Child care needs to be culturally inclusive and educational, especially for aboriginal children and families.
example, washroom accessibility, because without a washroom they can safely use, LGBT2SQ+ persons (and ALL persons in reality) have a hard time participating fully in city life.
• 24 hour child care is needed for those working or studying outside the 9 to 5 hours.
Income and poverty
Safety/Violence against Women
In the city we need, women are paid a living wage, because adequate
In the city we need, women and girls feel and are safe. Violence against
income is essential to lift women out of dire poverty and provide
women and girls has got to stop. Period.
opportunities to participate in the community The level of being and feeling unsafe increases at night and for more Many women continue to have at minimum two jobs: one unpaid in the
marginalized, poorer women.
home and one paid in the work place. Those reliant on public transportation are more at risk to violence than Recommendations
those who have cars. Significantly, at a recent Women Transforming Cities
• Working at home doing unpaid domestic work, child care, elder care
Café in Toronto hosted by Women Speak Out and GROOTS Canada, safe,
and crucial emotional work needs to be seen as important social work
accessible transportation was identified as a key element in a community’s
contributing to our society. As well, the crucial unpaid work many do in
poverty reduction strategy.
the community needs to be valued.
• In the workplace we need equal pay, and a living wage. The Current Living Wage in Vancouver is $20.68 per hour.
• Unions have a role. Low wage jobs are often in unorganized work places accompanied by minimum benefits, poor job security and many workers need to work 2 or even 3 jobs just to pay the rent. Earning a Living wage means working one job and having time to be involved in family and community activities.
12 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Recommendations
Individual actors/actions
• We need safe transit
1. Women Transforming Cities UTC participants put forward very practical
• More education about violence against women
• be friendly and welcoming
• More lighting everywhere to increase women and girls’ ability to
• introduce yourself
everyday advice for individual action such as:
navigate the city safely • be conscious of ‘privilege
• More public phones • learn how to be an ally
• More women-only shelters and other women- and girls’-only spaces • learn from each other
• More infrastructures and funding for those working against violence against women
• Employers need to take seriously the responsibility to provide safe work environments Proposed actors and actions
• check in to see how friends, neighbor’s, and co-workers are doing 2. Out in the community we can: • join community groups • advocate for more women and girl friendly programs
The city we need is a city where the basic needs of women and girls in terms of social inclusion, income, housing, child care, safety, and working together are met. It is a city where each person’s culture and orientation
• be aware of the needs of seniors, single mothers, LGBT2Q+ folks, and more
are valued, where the parks are truly welcoming for all, where each person sees herself reflected in leadership positions, and in the media, and where
NGO’s/Grassroots
women and girls are seen and their voices heard.
1. Take action to hold elected officials accountable.
The city we need listens to all the voices of those who live and work in the
2. We heard that the journey into political life is often a different path for
city, and provides opportunities for everyone to contribute, collaborate and
women and often very community based. There is a role for NGO’s to
take action together. Individuals, grassroots community groups, businesses
assist, educate and enable women to become leaders.
and government all need to sit down at the table to plan to act together. The public and private sectors need to start “ongoing, and mandatory
Governmental actors/actions
training; not just for frontline workers, but for staff at all levels” said a
1. Our elected officials need to be accountable.
UTC participant. 2. Governments must use disaggregated data to develop intersectional policies, programming, infrastructures and funding that enable the characteristics of a women friendly city to be met. 3. The responsibility for a city that meets the needs and supports women and girls must not be sidelined or marginalised as just one more bit of unwaged work women do.
13 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Key actors Key Actors
New Recommendations
The city we need is socially inclusive All municipal bodies including council, parks boards, fire and policing services, libraries, housing, shelters, schools, universities, health care, seniors facilities and community centres
1. Cities must create and use a feminist intersectional lens framework for policy development and evaluation, programmes, budgets and staffing.
All city funding bodies and all aboriginal organizational funding
1. Review the core funding requirements of services for all and specifically for Aboriginal women and girls and enhance their compatibility with Aboriginal approaches to social development strategies. Ensure funding requirements emphasize programme sustainability.
2. Collect disaggregated data that reflects the diversity of women and girls and their needs. We need to know what and where women are in their unpaid, volunteer and low paid work. We need to know who they are. Do they speak English or Cree? Are they immigrants, older or younger, lesbian or trans, living in poverty with their children, are they racialized, able-bodied or differently abled, do they work at night, when and where?
2. Award grants to increase the number of culture, community, identity and capacity building projects run by Aboriginal women and girls. City and School Board responsibility
Recognize Indigenous history.
Police departments and aboriginal services
Develop more cohesive and collaborative services to protect Aboriginal women and girls.
All city staff from all departments
Improve cultural competency and sensitivity training; this is true for relations between all cultures.
City working with the Provincial and Federal government
Support immigrant women so they can bring their children with them when they come to Canada.
Provincial government responsibility working with the city
Develop feminist intersectional policies that support immigrant women to fully participate in society including educational and English as a Second (or additional) Language programmes, child care and help to transition.
City responsibility
1. Make Vancouver a Sanctuary City for all women and girls regardless of immigration status. 2. Appoint a city immigrant advocate to highlight important issues and solutions for newcomers and engage their participation in the decision-making process.
Provincial guidelines and party responsibility
Run at least 50% women for elected municipal office, representing the diversity of our cities and ensuring Aboriginal candidates.
City must get provincial government approval
Establish a ward system (elected representation by neighbourhood) to ensure women can afford to run for office.
Provincial guidelines required
Establish civic campaign spending and donation limits and disclosure of all campaign donations.
14 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Key Actors
New Recommendations
City Council decision
Create a young women’s committee to City Council to address gender-specific barriers to leadership and promote active civic engagement.
City responsibility
Establish Youth Hubs to provide better access to services, information and safe spaces to gather; reinstate the Vancouver “CitizenU” programme so youth can combat discrimination and oppression in their communities.
Provincial responsibility
Lower the municipal voting age to 16 to establish and maintain youth representation and civic engagement.
Translink, City and Provincial regulations
Ensure women who work at night have the same access to city services such as affordable, safe and frequent public transit, child care, policing, safe lighting, labour laws, night work benefits, access to unions, and safety plans.
City and Park Board responsibility
Expand the conceptualization and implementation of “Accessibility” (as an entry point to inclusion) to broaden beyond the always important mobility access questions, to include, for example, gender-neutral washroom accessibility, because without a washroom they can safely use, LGBT2SQ+ persons (and ALL persons in reality) have a hard time participating fully in city life.
The city we need is well planned, walkable, and transit-friendly Translink (Provincial government) responsibility
1. Create and maintain safe, accessible, affordable public transit. 2. Make Vancouver a free transit zone after dark. 3. Improve transit in off-peak hours, including late night transit service. 4. Advertise “night bus” stop requests anywhere.
City responsibility
1. Ensure all public spaces are safe and well lit for women, girls, seniors, newcomers— in short, for all residents, workers and visitors to the city. 2. Name public spaces and buildings equally after women, with a particular view to include all women especially Aboriginal women. 3. Provide public washrooms that are mother friendly and open at night.
The city we need is a regenerative city City and university responsibility
Bring a feminist/intersectional perspective to urban planning.
City, provincial, federal governments and developers guided by city laws responsibility
Create housing and communities where people can live, work and play within walking distance. Ensure cities have housing that all people can afford with parks, schools and childcare centres in close proximity.
The city we need is economically vibrant and inclusive City Council responsibility
Make the City a living wage employer, requiring that all contractors hired by the City pay a living wage. Amend the City’s Ethical Purchasing Policy to make living wages a selection factor.
Translink & Provincial responsibility
Expand public transit services and provide safe transportation to all workers at times when there is no public transportation.
15 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Key Actors
New Recommendations
City guidelines needed for all city staff. Education by province for all cities
Hire, train and maintain all women especially diverse women for jobs where they are under-represented.
Federal, provincial and municipal governments responsibility
Formally recognize unpaid and volunteer work.
Provincial responsibility
Recognize that individuals and grassroots organisations cannot transform cities and societies without appropriate resources and infrastructure. There is need for systemic change, whether that means reallocation of funding or changes in governmental social welfare strategies, and of course using a feminist intersectional lens on city policies, programmes, budgets and staffing. The off-loading of social welfare work onto the backs of volunteers and grassroots organisations without critical funding and systemic supports is not working.
Federal responsibility , unions could advocate for employers to provide time off
Recognize working at home doing unpaid domestic work, and care-work such as child care, elder care and care for persons with disabilities needs to be seen as important social work contributing to our society. As well, the crucial unpaid work many do in the community needs to be valued.
Minimum wage is a Provincial responsibility but companies can choose to pay more
Establish equal pay, and a living wage. The current Living Wage in Vancouver is $20.68 per hour.
Trade Unions can educate and advocate for a living wage
Work with Trade Unions. They have a role. Low wage jobs are often in unorganized (non-union) work places accompanied by minimum benefits, poor job security and many workers need to work 2 or even 3 jobs just to pay the rent. Earning a Living Wage means working one job and having time to be involved in family and community activities.
Municipal governments and non-government organizations must advocate for these guidelines from the Provincial government
Work with communities to promote the $10/Day Child Care Plan.
Municipalities ask the province for a fully funded plan
Tell the provincial and federal governments that Vancouver expects the $10/Day Child Care Plan to be implemented in BC.
Provincial responsibility
1. Establish quality, affordable and accessible child care. 2. Establish child care that is culturally inclusive and educational, especially for Aboriginal children and families. 3. Establish 24 hour child care. It is needed for those working or studying outside the 9 to 5 hours.
Provincial responsibility though the unions could educate and advocate for higher wages
Value, respect and pay well for child care work. Too many child care workers cannot afford the child care they provide.
The city we need is a safe city City working with women’s organizations
Develop and implement a comprehensive Violence Against Women and Girls Civic Action Plan.
City responsibility
Fund women’s organizations.
City responsibility
Fund 24/7 comprehensive centres for women and girls in each area of the city.
City responsibility
Provide a fully accessible, centrally located Women’s Hub.
16 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Key Actors
New Recommendations
City must work with all levels of government and anti violence women’s organizations
Work collaboratively and effectively with both the Provincial and Federal Government to end violence against women and girls.
City, aboriginal organizations and all those working with aboriginal people
Require leaders and all those who interact and work directly or indirectly with Aboriginal women and girls to develop culturally safe approaches to services.
All levels of government, schools, universities, media, unions, banks, NGO’s and businesses
Educate men and boys to act to stop violence against women.
City responsibility
Develop Emergency preparedness plans that have a feminist intersectional lens using disaggregated data so we know where women are, what languages they speak and how mothers can get their children and elders to safety.
All of society
Recognize the continued oppression and violence against women and girls, in particular Aboriginal women and girls.
Translink & the Provincial government responsible
Establish safe transit.
Schools and universities and levels of government and the media responsible
Establish more education about violence against women.
City responsibility
Establish more lighting everywhere to increase women and girls’ ability to navigate the city safely.
Phone companies, municipal guidelines
Install more public phones.
City and provincial governments responsibility
Establish more women-only shelters and other women- and girls’-only spaces.
All levels of government and funders
Develop more infrastructures and funding for those working to end violence against women.
Provincial government responsibility
Ensure that employers take seriously the responsibility to provide safe work environments.
The city we need is a healthy city All levels of government and environmental agencies
Review green policies through a feminist intersectional lens that includes all women’s paid and unpaid work and responsibilities.
Park Board responsibility
Increase women’s and girls’ access to recreation and community centres, and playing fields, including dedicated spaces and programmes to ensure equality.
City responsibility
Create women- and girl-friendly, safe bike routes.
The city we need is affordable and equitable All levels of government
Generate a housing and homeless strategy that addresses the distinctive and diverse housing and homeless circumstances of women and girls, especially Aboriginal women and girls such as vulnerability to violence, income inequality and family responsibilities.
City government working with housing providers
Design and Implement sustainable low-income housing options that focus on women and children.
Federal and Provincial government responsibility
Request that the federal and provincial governments reinvest resources toward housing strategy development, and housing supply and maintenance, with a focus on supporting the diverse housing needs of women and girls.
City responsibility
Use city land for public affordable housing.
17 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Outstanding issues Although much has changed for women and girls in the cities, much more needs to be done for all to be able to fully realize their ability to be engaged in all levels of city life: family, work, community, politics, economic
Urban solutions must be developed with the people they will impact
and decision making. The outstanding issues are ones we have identified as we know that the work accomplished to date is only the beginning. As
“Advancing Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Municipalities” was identi-
well, society in all ways is changing, so we are conscience that the city
fied as an Urban Solution during the Women Transforming Cities Dialogue
we need is changing. One priority feminist intersectional area that we
Cafes. Launched in June 2015 in Ottawa, Canada, the guide is now being
have already identified as needing more research, discussion and work is
shared with municipalities across Canada. Working from an intersectional
women and disabilities. Here we include visible disabilities and invisible,
lens, this guide presents critical paths to advancing equity and inclusion
including mental health. We also encompass mothers who are rearing
in order to address problems facing cities while providing best practices
children with disabilities, an area of societal work that is largely unrecog-
for solving these problems. When municipalities work for those who are
nized. The significant changes in our city in terms of housing require more
most at risk of exclusion, including diverse women and girls, they work for
work in this area and in the whole issue of women and money. Immigrant
everyone.
and refugee women and their children are another area. WTC is planning on future Cafes and events to learn more what the city can do to meet the
Five Canadian cities and seven non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
needs of women and girls.
working on the major social issues and internal challenges facing their cities were brought together to examine these problems and to devise a handbook of solutions to be used by elected officials, senior and middle management, municipal staff and local organizations, community organizers, unions and academics. It was found, for example, that cities are facing huge population growth of diverse people, leading to new social inequities yet inadequate resources to address them. Municipalities face challenges such as competing demands on staff time, disbelief that inequities exist, lack of political will and limited knowledge of the value of using an intersectional lens—which takes into account the ways in which advantage and disadvantage intersect to affect how people experience policies and programs. As a result, “Advancing Equity and Inclusion: a Guide for Municipalities” outlines key solutions for large and small municipalities. The Guide examines each issue and follows up with a step by step approach to improve the position of diverse groups of the population: immigrants, aboriginal, LGTBQ2s (lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer, two spirited), people living in poverty, racialized persons, women, youth and seniors.
18 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
The seven sections of “Advancing Equity and Inclusion: a Guide for Municipalities” are the following: 1. This Guide explains who the guide is for, why it matters and how to use it. 2. What informs the guide: shares guiding principles and shows how
6. Building a Welcoming Workplace: talks about a representational workforce, diverse leadership, workplace culture and training. 7. Deliver Inclusive Services: offers a wide variety of best practices from cities large and small. Throughout the guide are many examples of best practices used in munic-
to use an equity and inclusion lens. It explains how and why to use
ipalities. Some examples include Transgender people in the Vancouver
an intersectional lens. It explains how to apply the work and who to
Park Board; Violence against Women in Public Transit;
include. CCMARD Toolkit for strengthening local initiatives and policies against 3. Create and Sustain Impact: 10 critical factors: Identify Multiple Entry Points; Cultivate Champions; Seek Support From All Levels; Create Man-
racism and discrimination and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association tool to measure inclusivity.
dates and Directives; Engage Communities; Demonstrate Results; Provide Training; Communicate Throughout Organization; Celebrate Success
The guide has been developed by Women Transforming Cities International Society; Municipalities of Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Lethbridge, and
4. Get Ready for Change: teaches how to strategize for change and cre-
Stratford; the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Canadian Commis-
ate the conditions for change. It includes a thorough Environmental Scan
sion for UNESCO; Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and
Checklist as well as a chart tool for any issue, allowing for an analysis of
Discrimination; University of Ottawa; City for All Women Initiative, Otta-
expected results, performance indicators, and results indicators.
wa; Springtide Resources, Toronto, ON; Toronto Women’s City Alliance; PEI Coalition for Women in Government.
5. Engage Communities: examines key factors in working with communities: Understanding the Issues; Recognize Community Experience;
The guide can be accessed here: http://www.cawiivtf.org/sites/de-
Create Relationships; Work Together; Be Accountable
fault/files/publications/advancing-equity-inclusion-web.pdf
19 Urban Thinkers Campus: 18 – Women Transforming Cities Dialogue Cafes
Speakers Andrea Reimer, City of Vancouver Councillor Carmen Contreras, Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House Christine O’Fallon, Women Transforming Cities City of Vancouver Civic Naming Committee Diana Day, First Nations Social Justice Advocate Ellen Woodsworth, Women Transforming Cities Fruma Sloan, Union Activist Ingrid Kolsteren, Women Transforming Cities Jessica Wood, Gitxan-Tsimshian, Activist, Community Builder Joyce Brown, the executive-director of Working for Change, Toronto, Canada Lakshmi Lochan, Women Transforming Cities Lubna Khalid, the coordinator for Women Speak Out, Toronto, CanadaMargaret, Sex Worker Marnie Tamaki, Architect & member of GROOTS Canada Niki Sharma, Mother, Lawyer, former Vancouver Park Board Commissioner Raging Grannies, Performers Remember Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) ReSisters, Performers Sara Ortiz, Feminist Activist, Planner & Researcher Suzanne Doerge, City for All Women Initiative (CAWI) Tiffany Muller Myrdahl, Simon Fraser University Ruth Wynn Woodward Chair Vanity Feral, Burlesque Performer Women Speak Out leadership training program members Women Transforming Cities Members
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United Nations Human Settlements Programme P.O. Box 30030 Nairobi 00100, Kenya World Urban Campaign Secretariat www.worldurbancampaign.org Email: wuc@unhabitat.org Tel.: +254 20 762 1234
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