Governance Issues in Women-Friendly Development of Old City Shahjahanabad
摘要
In both theory and practice, the role of women in shaping cities is under emphasized. It is commonly known that women are less mobile than men are, due to a fear of violence, which limits their utilization of public areas. There are many difficulties that women encounter in cities as they begin to leave their homes in their early teens and progress through different stages of life. Comparing cities, streets, and public places in terms of accessibility, comfort, sense of security, and sense of belongingness has also been used to explain this at all levels regarding the physical environment. In the 1970s, the feminist criticism of urban theory and planning arose, demonstrating how designers and planners had created environments that were mostly directed toward the needs of men. However, the urban environment is constantly evolving, and today there are some steps being taken in a positive direction & specifically when it comes to old settlement in core areas like Shahjahanabad which is the oldest area of Delhi from Mughal era which has eventually transformed into slum like condition. This further adds to the vulnerability factor for the women residing & visiting in the core as well as the vicinity. The paper is an attempt to highlight the conditions which arise in old settlements like Shahjahanabad. It is also an effort to examine tools and strategies adopted worldwide in cities that could significantly contribute to realizing women's right to cities and giving them equal opportunities, safety & security. According to the Various reports like UN-Habitat report, NCRB report the situation is bad and non-livable for the women friendly environment. There is always a threat of eve teasing, human trafficking, chain snatching, theft etc. These poor conditions seem to be because of poor governance system in the area as there are many authorities & administrative bodies; ASI, MCD, WAKF BOARD, Chandni chowk trust societies, local governing bodies, etc. which are governing the old Shahjahanabad area which falls under non development zone governed by ASI. The case is made for explicitly integrating gender perspectives into developmental policies, which will address the issues & give recommendations regarding women sensitive planning of core areas.