RIGHTFULLY OURS

Introduction

Have you ever noticed how the women’s washroom always has a queue, unlike the men’s room, even when (and this is not always the case) the building provides the same number of stalls for both men and women? It’s tempting to explain this away with women “taking longer” but the reality is much simpler: the design itself is flawed. As Caroline Criado-Perez notes in Invisible Women, when planners give men and women identical facilities, they ignore the biological and social factors, such as menstruation, pregnancy, or care work, that cause women to spend more time in the bathroom. So, what appears “equal” in design swiftly becomes unequal in experience. 

This imbalance is reflective of a larger issue. Modern cities are typically planned around a ‘default male’, taking into account the routine, biological realities, and characteristics of the average man. Women, with different rhythms and vulnerabilities, remain outside that template.

Along these lines, in the 1980s, scholar Dolores Hayden argued that cities are often built around a male ‘ideal citizen’ with a full-time job, and no domestic responsibilities. Much of India’s urban form still reflects this outdated template.

The Fear for safety remains deep-seated

Consider mobility, which forms the backbone of public life. A 2019 study showed that 77% of women in Delhi feel unsafe using buses after dark, despite subsidised or even free rides. Poorly lit or isolated bus stops and roads, overcrowded compartments, fear of harassment, lower number of women co-travellers, and the absence of female staff act as hindrances to their mobility after sunset.

It can thus be seen that an apprehension of harassment leads to lost opportunity: when women’s safety needs are not prioritised, it leads to lower participation in education or employment. Beyond the economic sphere, the consequences may even be social or psychological, as noted by Leslie Kern. To avoid such risks, women are faced with a ‘safety tax,’ the price they pay for safety, which often encompasses higher fares or longer commute times. On a more extreme level, this also includes situations where women opt to live in pricier neighbourhoods, guided by the notion that they are more secure.

On mobility, studies show that while men mostly commute along a simple two-point route – to and from work – women engage in ‘trip chaining’, involving multiple trips linked to household responsibilities, including stops at grocery stores or children’s schools. Transport systems that prioritise linear office commutes but neglect last-mile connectivity, frequent buses, or multi-stop travel inadvertently restrict women’s mobility.

Poor sanitation – the most basic inequality

A 2017 study found India at the top for highest number of people without access to basic sanitation, of which 355 million women were disproportionately affected. For women, the absence of safe, accessible, and hygienic toilets has cascading consequences.

Aside from causing health and hygiene issues, the lack of washroom facilities deters women from entering into the labour force, or at least not looking for jobs that mandate long hours. Further, washrooms in poorly lit or isolated areas pose a serious safety threat. In this sense, when urban planning does not take into account the needs of women while constructing washroom facilities, it detrimentally impacts the participation of women in employment, education, as well as their overall standard of life.

Recently, in a significant ruling, the apex court has reaffirmed that clean, functional, and secure toilets are a basic necessity, not an optional public service, especially for women.

Care burden – cities not built for mothers

In her study, Gerda Werkele argued that ‘cities are the place for mothers’ – with schools, shops, leisure activities being seamlessly reachable. Yet, studies indicate that Indian cities remain unfriendly to mothers. Stroller-accessible public transport is rare. Even the width of sidewalks is called into question for being inaccessible with strollers.

The public care system, too, has been unable to meet maternal needs as well, with the number of creches in India reducing significantly over recent years, even despite increased funding. The lack of availability of secure creches, feeding rooms, and rest areas causes women to take on more unpaid care work, which in turn constrains them in the jobs they take, the hours they work, or whether they can work at all. Urban design that ignores caregiving ultimately pushes women out of paid labour.

Policy recommendations

Although 47% of graduating architects in India are female, only about 20% of them go on to become licensed practitioners. Less than a quarter of the Indian Lok Sabha is made up by women. Gender-sensitive cities require gender-sensitive decision makers. Increasing women’s participation in planning bodies directly changes what gets measured, prioritised, and built.

Further, Safety must be built into infrastructure, and not be incorporated later as an afterthought. Physical infrastructure such as CCTV systems, uniform lighting, and last mile roads can aid with this regard. Further, ensuring availability of female staff on public transport is a must. ‘Women-only’ transport initiatives have been brought about in Indian states, including Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, as well as in the National Capital.

Additionally, Safe, and well-lit public toilets at predictable intervals, especially in transit areas or regions with high footfall. The Rajeeb Kalita judgement reaffirmed that access to toilets forms part of the right to life under Article 21, making improved sanitation a constitutional mandate.

In order to plan a city that works for women, data must be collected in a gender-disaggregated manner. Collecting disaggregated data on women’s routes, timing, and safety concerns allows planners to see the structural barriers faced by women. Sewing these into municipal bylaws and transport audits would ensure cities are designed with women, not around them. Ultimately, a feminist urbanist lens is needed to make it clear that cities cannot be gender-neutral when women’s realities are anything but. This perspective must be rooted into every stage of planning to create urban spaces where women can move freely, safely, and with dignity. As the UNDP report rightly sums it: when cities are designed to be inclusive for women, they do good to all: children, the elderly, those with disabilities, and yes, men.