Mind the gap: Gender-responsive urban mobility planning

MobiliseYourCity Partnership

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On 26 August 2025, we hosted a webinar part of our Mastering Mobility series to launch MobiliseYourCity’s new Topic Guide on Gender Mainstreaming in Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). Our speakers brought a wealth of expertise in mobility and gender, and together unpacked what it takes to make transport systems safer, fairer, and more inclusive. Gender is one of the most important yet overlooked factors shaping how people move. Women and other marginalised groups face distinct barriers – from safety concerns to inadequate infrastructure and lack of data – that must be addressed if cities are to build equitable, sustainable mobility systems. The new Topic Guide provides cities with practical tools to integrate gender into every stage of the SUMP process, from diagnostics through implementation. Speakers underlined that gender mainstreaming is not about adding small fixes, but about rethinking priorities, governance, and design. They highlighted how gender-responsive planning can improve safety, support economic participation, and strengthen social and environmental outcomes – while also making cities more livable for everyone.

Key Takeaways from the Session

Start with better data: Gender-disaggregated data and indicators are essential to uncover real mobility patterns, gaps, and barriers.
Embed gender from the start: A gender perspective must run through diagnostics, planning, financing, and monitoring – not be added as an afterthought.
Strengthen governance & participation: Inclusive planning requires collaboration across ministries, local governments, and civil society, ensuring women and vulnerable groups influence decision-making.
Rethink infrastructure & design: Update manuals and standards to reflect care-related mobility and prioritise active and public transport over private cars.
Plan for continuity: Build gender-responsive SUMPs and strategies that can withstand political cycles and adapt to diverse territorial realities.
Equity is central to sustainability: As one speaker stressed, “Better mobility is inclusive mobility” – equity and rights are as important as efficiency and climate goals.

Our Guest Speakers

Keisha Mayuga – Urban Mobility Specialist, GIZ – TUMI & Women Mobilize Women, with expertise in active mobility and community-centred planning.
Carine Assaf – Sustainable Mobility Expert, MobiliseYourCity Secretariat, specialising in gender mainstreaming in SUMPs.
Diana Ardila Luengas – Independent Consultant in sustainable mobility and gender, supporting inclusive mobility policies and projects.
Paola Ramírez – Gender Expert, HEAT GmbH, focusing on participatory approaches to equity in mobility and climate initiatives.
Gail Jennings – Gender Expert, HEAT GmbH, with extensive experience in research, advocacy, and training on equitable transport systems.