Urban Adda 2025: Women Demand Safer, Inclusive Cities for All

At Urban Adda 2025, a national-level urban development dialogue held at the India Habitat Centre on June 4, women from diverse backgrounds — policymakers, activists, entrepreneurs, and development experts — raised a unified voice for gender-inclusive urban design. From unsafe commutes and poor last-mile connectivity to discriminatory transport policies, the event spotlighted the challenges women face in navigating Indian cities and called for urgent reforms to make urban spaces inclusive, resilient, and equitable.

Why in News?

The second day of Urban Adda 2025, hosted by the Raahgiri Foundation in collaboration with ICCT and GuruJal, served as a critical platform where key stakeholders discussed how India’s urban infrastructure and mobility systems often exclude women. The event emphasized the need for gender-sensitive city planning and celebrated emerging efforts that are breaking traditional barriers in public transport and city design.

Main Themes & Issues Raised

• Women’s Urban Commutes: Daily travel is fraught with risks — harassment, poor sanitation, unsafe streets, and inaccessible public transport.
• Lack of Representation: Women remain underrepresented in transport roles (drivers, operators, planners).
• Urban Design Flaws: Cities are largely built around male-centric travel patterns, ignoring how women travel with dependents or during off-peak hours.

Key Participants and Insights

Pooja Bedi (Actor & Wellness Entrepreneur)

• Compared women’s daily commute to a “survival Olympics.”
• Highlighted how urban systems exhaust women before they even reach work.
• Advocated for not just a seat in the bus, but a seat at the decision-making table.

Rajeshwari Balasubramanian (Azad Foundation)

• Traced her NGO’s decade-long efforts to train women as heavy vehicle drivers.
• Faced challenges such as biased eligibility criteria (e.g., minimum height, experience).
• Over 100 women placed in Delhi’s public transport system after training in self-defence, communication, and resilience.

Swati Khanna (KfW Development Bank)

• Stressed that gender inclusion must be intentional.
• Cited example from Kochi where women ferry pilots are being trained for the electric water metro.
• Highlighted systemic exclusion and the need for long-term planning to create gender parity.

Mukta Naik (NIUA)

• Pointed out that while government efforts to create safe, inclusive infrastructure are beginning, implementation and scalability remain key gaps.

Event Details

• Event Name: Urban Adda 2025
• Date: June 4, 2025 (Day 2 of the 3-day event)
• Venue: India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
• Hosted By: Raahgiri Foundation
• Partners: ICCT and GuruJal
• Media Partner: Hindustan Times