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1E. GENDER EQUALITY MYTH BUSTING
Gender mainstreaming in cities is becoming more common, but a few misconceptions remain. Let s look at some classic myths and their realities.
That s the national
government s job.
Cities play an important role in the implementation of national, regional and global agendas on gender equality through the services and spaces closest to the daily lives of residents. Incorporating gender mainstreaming into municipal structures and processes is an effective tool for combating inequality at a local level and feeding good practices and good ideas back up to the regional and national levels. Cities ability to shape the daily lives of the women and men who live in them equally gives them the power to drive change in gender equality and beyond.
Gender is all about women.
All genders experience stereotypes, norms and gender blind policies which reduce their opportunities to participate in society fully
and equally, from biased views about which gender should take parental leave to which
types of professions different genders excel at. Unfortunately, women still experience the majority of gender-based inequality, so policies for gender
equality mainly focus on reducing exclusion, discrimination and unfair treatment by lifting women
up. Nevertheless, as you will see in this report, gender equality means offering all genders equal opportunities to participate in society, and more
frequently this also means policies targeting men.
1D. MAP OF CASE STUDIES
Representation and participation: Czech Republic; and Râmnicu Sārat (Romania).
Governance: Bečej (Serbia); Novaci (North Macedonia); Vienna (Austria); Sweden; Milan (Italy); London (England); Barcelona (Spain); and Trikala (Greece).
Economic equality: Bern (Switzerland); Portugal; Gdańsk (Poland); Barcelona (Spain); Budapest (Hungary); and La Rochelle (France).
Public services: Paris (France); Spain; Trondheim (Norway); Vilnius (Lithuania); and Serbia.
Planning and public spaces: Pordenone (Italy); Pristina (Kosovo); Germany; Spain; Helsinki (Finland); Paris (France); and Umeå (Sweden).
Equity, diversity and inclusion: Tilburg (Netherlands); Gothenburg (Sweden); Germany; Barcelona (Spain); and Amsterdam (Netherlands) in partnership with Aarhus (Denmark).
