Building gender-equity ecosystem vital to make women self-reliant: Smriti Irani

New Delhi: Former Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Zubin Irani has said that building a gender-equity ecosystem is vital to making women self-reliant and future-ready, stressing the need to put women at the centre of development policies.

Irani was speaking at the We4Her Foundation's flagship event on Saturday, where she launched two reports highlighting the impact of gendered urban planning and the role of women-led green startups.

"To future-proof us, we need to put women at the centre. Make them independent enough to lead voices, shape gender narratives, and don't just amplify a voice, build it, believe in it, back it," she said.

Organised in collaboration with advisory firm Primus Partners, the event saw policymakers, corporates, NGOs and grassroots leaders exploring ways to make Indian cities safer and more inclusive for women, according to a statement.

They also held discussions on women's workforce participation, gender-sensitive infrastructure, and financial inclusion, it said.

The reports covered field studies from Delhi, Mumbai and Bhopal on how access to transit and safety affects women's employment, and profiled women-led sustainable businesses under the UnPollute 2024 initiative, the statement read.

According to the report, studies conducted in the three cities revealed that gender-neutral urban planning often overlooks the specific needs of women, leading to barriers in their economic participation.

"It found that lack of safe and reliable public transport, inadequate sanitation facilities, and poor street lighting significantly impact women's mobility and access to work opportunities," the statement said.

The study called for gender-sensitive infrastructure and planning that prioritises safety, accessibility, and inclusivity in urban design, it stated.