Planning and Sustainable Development

1. The Signatory recognizes that, in planning and developing strategies for the future of its area, the principles of sustainable development must be fully respected, involving the balanced integration of the economic, social, environmental and cultural dimensions, and also, in particular, including the need to promote and achieve equality of women and men.

2. The Signatory therefore commits itself to take into account the principle of equality of women and men as a fundamental dimension of all its planning, or development of strategies, for the sustainable development of its area.

1. The Signatory recognizes the importance of its spatial, transport, economic development and land use policies and plans in creating the conditions within which the right to equality of women and men in local life may be more fully achieved.

2. The Signatory commits itself to ensure that, in drawing up, adopting and implementing such policies and plans.

• the need to promote effective equality in all aspects of local life is fully taken into account,

• the specific needs of women and men, in relation for example to employment, access to services and cultural life, education and family responsibilities, based on relevant local and other data, including the signatory’s own gender assessments, are properly taken into account

• high quality design solutions are adopted which take into account the specific needs of women and men.

1. The Signatory recognizes that mobility and access to means of transport are essential conditions for women and men to be able to exercise many of their rights, tasks and activities, including access to work, education, culture and essential services. It also recognizes that the sustainability and success of a municipality or region depends to a significant degree on the development of an effective, high quality transport infrastructure and public transport service.

2. The Signatory further recognizes that women and men often have, in practice, different needs, as well as patterns of usage, in relation to mobility and transport, based on factors such as income, caring responsibilities or hours of work, and that consequently, women frequently form a greater proportion of users of public transport than men.

3. The Signatory therefore commits itself:

a) to take into account the relevant mobility needs, and the patterns of transport usage, of women and men respectively, including those from urban and rural communities;

b)  to ensure that the transport services available to citizens in the area of the authority assist in meeting the specific as well as common needs of women and men, and in realising the real equality of women and men in local life.

4. The Signatory further commits itself to promote the progressive improvement of the public transport services in and for its area, including intermodal connections, in order to address the specific and common needs of women and men for regular, affordable, safe and accessible transport, and to contribute to its sustainable development.

1. The Signatory recognizes that the achievement of a balanced and sustainable economic development is a vital component of a successful municipality or region, and that its activities and services in this field can contribute significantly to the advancement of equality of women and men.

2. The Signatory recognises the need to increase the rate and quality of employment of women, and further recognises that the risk of poverty linked to long term unemployment and unpaid work is particularly high for women.

3. The Signatory commits itself, in relation to its activities and services in the field of economic development, to take fully into account the needs and interests of women and men, and the opportunities to advance equality between them, and to take the appropriate actions to this end. Such actions may include:

• Assistance to women entrepreneurs

• Ensuring that financial and other support to enterprises promote gender equality

• Encouragement to women trainees to learn skills and achieve qualifications for jobs traditionally seen as “male” and vice versa

• Encouragement to employers to recruit women apprentices and trainees in relation to skills, qualifications and positions traditionally seen as “male”, and vice versa.

1. The Signatory recognizes its responsibility to work towards a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment in its area, including local policies in relation to waste, noise, air quality, biodiversity and the impact of climate change. It recognizes the equal right of women and men to benefit from its services and policies in relation to the environment.

2. The Signatory recognizes that in many places the lifestyles of women and men differ, and that women and men may tend to differ in their use of local services and public or open spaces, or confront different environmental problems.

3. The Signatory accordingly commits itself, in developing its environmental policies and services, to have full and equal regard to the specific needs and lifestyles of women and men respectively, and to the principle of solidarity between the generations.