Urban Transformation and Gender Equity in India

India is experiencing a significant urban transformation, with expectations that by 2050, over 800 million people will reside in cities. This urban expansion is reshaping India's social contract and influencing its democracy and development.

Gender Representation in Governance

• Constitutional Reforms:
  • The 73rd and 74th Amendments mandate a 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Governments (ULGs).
  • 17 States and a Union Territory have increased this reservation to 50%.
  • Women now constitute over 46% of local elected representatives, as reported by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in 2024.
• Bureaucratic Imbalance:
  • The administration executing these decisions remains predominantly male.
  • In 2022, women represented only 20% of the Indian Administrative Service.
  • In urban planning and municipal engineering, women's participation is even lower.
  • Women make up just 11.7% of the national police force.

Gender and Urban Planning

• Public Transport and Infrastructure:
  • Women rely heavily on public transport and neighborhood-level infrastructure.
  • 84% of women in Delhi and Mumbai use public or shared transport, compared to 63% of men.
• Safety Concerns:
  • A 2019 Safetipin audit found over 60% of public spaces poorly lit.
  • With few women in policing, community safety initiatives often lack resonance with women.

Advancing Gender Equity in Urban Governance

• Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB):
  • Introduced in India in 2005-06, GRB is underutilized despite potential.
  • Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are leading in GRB efforts.
  • Challenges include weak monitoring and limited institutional capacities.
• International Practices:
  • Philippines mandates 5% of local budgets for gender programs.
  • Uganda requires gender equity certificates for fund approvals.
  • Mexico ties GRB to results-based budgeting.

Strategies for Inclusive Urban Development

• Systemic Reforms Needed:
  • Recruitment, retention, and promotion reforms are crucial for gender equity in bureaucracy.
  • Affirmative action is essential to dismantle structural barriers.
• Global Examples:
  • Rwanda, Brazil, and South Korea have seen positive impacts from increased female representation.
  • South Korea's gender impact assessments have reshaped public spaces.

Conclusion

Gender-balanced bureaucracies are crucial for building safer, equitable, and responsive cities. India's cities must aspire to be spaces of inclusion and equity. Gender mainstreaming through audits, participatory budgeting, and linked evaluation is essential. As women reshape governance as elected leaders, they must also influence city planning and governance to reflect women's lived experiences.