Interview with Sameh Wahba, Global Director, GPURL

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00:08 Yes,

00:08 of course,

00:09 I remember when the WDR came out I was a sector leader in LAC,

00:14 so I used to coordinate sustainable development issues and

00:18 also lead an urban development portfolio in Brazil,

00:22 and the WDR was especially timely because it brought

00:25 many dimensions which brought a gender lens that were.

00:29 Critically needed in our portfolio and that could benefit from the

00:33 framework and the emphasis on the findings of the WDR.

00:36 So for instance,

00:37 you know,

00:37 our work in slum upgrading and women

00:40 bear a disproportionate burden whether it's because of

00:44 the lack of property rights or because of

00:47 the impact of poor housing and infrastructure.

00:49 So I mean,

00:50 When you have issues like when there's no sanitation infrastructure

00:54 and the only way forward is the usage of public toilets,

00:58 these

00:59 tend to be associated with gender-based violence in Latin

01:02 America and in cities and especially in formal settlements.

01:06 Crime and violence are pervasive and therefore women.

01:09 Particular are faced with serious issues related

01:12 to their ability to use public spaces,

01:14 access services,

01:15 infrastructure,

01:16 and of course the most critical issue of all,

01:18 which is the impact of

01:20 the lack of secure property rights.

01:22 You know,

01:23 one of my other projects in Brasilia was

01:25 called Brasilia Environmentally Sustainable Project Brasilia Sustainable,

01:29 and it included a solid waste management component.

01:32 And again,

01:32 the challenges facing female waste pickers were very evident.

01:36 In this project,

01:37 so for us working in the urban sector,

01:40 the WDR 2012 was especially important

01:43 because it brought that focus on the

01:45 gender disparities that exist around the world.

01:48 So it was not only

01:49 timely but also an eye opener.

01:51 And by,

01:52 you know,

01:53 having this reflection on what gender equality means,

01:56 you know,

01:57 wages,

01:58 agency.

01:59 Safety,

02:01 of course,

02:01 choice,

02:02 access to opportunities,

02:04 but

02:04 more importantly that it is

02:06 very smart

02:07 economics in the sense that,

02:08 you know,

02:09 this is the way to boost productivity

02:11 and of course all

02:12 other development outcomes in the communities and

02:15 in cities and of course in countries,

02:17 so.

02:18 When we empower women to lead

02:20 equal and dignified lives,

02:22 I mean,

02:22 it's not just the households,

02:24 but I mean the whole world that benefits from the results of

02:28 this gender equality.

02:34 There is a very important link between urban planning

02:37 and closing the gender gaps because cities have traditionally been

02:43 designed,

02:43 you know,

02:44 by men and

02:46 in this regard they reflect the traditional gender roles.

02:49 So

02:50 cities have,

02:51 you know,

02:51 traditionally worked better for men than they do for women and

02:56 for girls.

02:57 So

02:58 if a city is built for,

03:00 you know,

03:01 neutral.

03:03 Male user,

03:03 if you want,

03:04 it neglects the needs,

03:06 the interests,

03:07 the routines of women,

03:08 of girls,

03:09 of sexual and gender minorities within a city,

03:12 and this has

03:13 an enormous impact on women's,

03:16 you know,

03:16 access to jobs or services.

03:18 So I mean if

03:19 one is not cognizant to the mobility routines of

03:23 women of dropping children at the daycare center,

03:26 you know,

03:26 as they had to work and you

03:28 Disconnect locationally if you will,

03:30 the daycare center from the public transportation station

03:34 if there's no concern for access to infrastructure,

03:37 etc.

03:38 then all these cause issues related to,

03:41 you know,

03:41 women's ability to benefit from what cities mean in terms of the dividends,

03:46 growth,

03:47 productivity.

03:48 Take very simple things like sidewalks.

03:50 You know,

03:51 for strollers,

03:52 you know,

03:52 public restrooms,

03:53 if you just design to be identical without understanding,

03:57 you know,

03:57 the spatial needs,

03:58 there's many other examples that one can offer that shows that when one is not

04:03 attentive to the needs of women,

04:06 girls within cities and is not reflecting

04:09 these needs into the design of cities,

04:12 then

04:12 there is

04:13 built environment

04:14 really becomes very challenging,

04:16 and

04:17 it's on this basis that our global practice has prepared a handbook

04:21 for gender inclusive urban planning and design

04:25 to help orient some of the key issues that could

04:27 help make cities welcoming women and girls and enabling them to

04:31 achieve all the aspirations that are associated with life in cities.

04:40 Unfortunately in my case,

04:42 maybe I've never been into a situation where

04:45 I would have missed on

04:47 the importance of the gender dimension as a cornerstone for our work,

04:50 but that's because I work on issues related to

04:53 Housing and land.

04:54 So I mean,

04:55 you know,

04:55 in particular in land and property rights,

04:57 you very quickly come to terms that the impact

05:00 or the lack thereof is very unequal and especially

05:04 when you're brought up in a culture

05:06 that sees those stark differences.

05:08 So as far as

05:09 access to land,

05:10 access to housing,

05:11 access to infrastructure and to services,

05:13 I am,

05:13 you know,

05:14 from Egypt and I grew up out there and in an upbringing that sees

05:18 these types of Challenges and especially as far as you know cities are concerned,

05:23 you know,

05:23 women and girls do not feel safe walking at night or

05:27 as they use public transportation,

05:28 you know,

05:29 there's

05:30 always,

05:30 you know,

05:31 sexual harassment up to a point where women would actually

05:35 reconsider their labor force participation just because

05:38 of how unapproachable public transport is,

05:40 or when you're questioned about your life choices,

05:44 you become naturally sensitive to the importance of gender issues.

05:48 But at the same time,

05:50 you know,

05:50 It's something that applying it in your

05:53 everyday work is also very different,

05:55 you know,

05:56 I work on disaster risk management and we all know that the impact of

06:00 disasters is very much differentiated between people and it's,

06:04 you know,

06:04 usually women and children that are

06:06 And the elderly and of course disabled people that are

06:11 usually very worse off and affected in the context of disasters

06:15 and you know as far as I'm concerned,

06:17 you know,

06:17 whether it's,

06:19 you know,

06:19 ensuring,

06:19 you know,

06:20 equal pay,

06:21 agency,

06:22 securing asset and ownership,

06:25 choice and all,

06:26 if you will,

06:27 the pillars of the WDR 2012,

06:29 but also the gender strategy.

06:31 It would be critical to achieve to ensure that we have a recovery that is obviously

06:37 green and resilient,

06:38 but most importantly inclusive

06:40 and hopefully,

06:42 you know,

06:42 for me

06:43 this will happen,

06:44 you know,

06:45 sooner rather than later so that we can finally

06:48 dispense of having to celebrate an International Women's Day,

06:52 you know,

06:52 that's meant to remind us of the persisting gap because I mean every day should be

06:56 Women's Day and we should not be dealing with these relics of days past.

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transcript

Yes, of course, I remember when the WDR came out I was a sector leader in LAC, so I used to coordinate sustainable development issues and also lead an urban development portfolio in Brazil, and the WDR was especially timely because it brought many dimensions which brought a gender lens that were. Critically needed in our portfolio and that could benefit from the framework and the emphasis on the findings of the WDR. So for instance, you know, our work in slum upgrading and women bear a disproportionate burden whether it's because of the lack of property rights or because of the impact of poor housing and infrastructure. So I mean, When you have issues like when there's no sanitation infrastructure and the only way forward is the usage of public toilets, these tend to be associated with gender-based violence in Latin America and in cities and especially in formal settlements. Crime and violence are pervasive and therefore women. Particular are faced with serious issues related to their ability to use public spaces, access services, infrastructure, and of course the most critical issue of all, which is the impact of the lack of secure property rights. You know, one of my other projects in Brasilia was called Brasilia Environmentally Sustainable Project Brasilia Sustainable, and it included a solid waste management component. And again, the challenges facing female waste pickers were very evident. In this project, so for us working in the urban sector, the WDR 2012 was especially important because it brought that focus on the gender disparities that exist around the world. So it was not only timely but also an eye opener. And by, you know, having this reflection on what gender equality means, you know, wages, agency. Safety, of course, choice, access to opportunities, but more importantly that it is very smart economics in the sense that, you know, this is the way to boost productivity and of course all other development outcomes in the communities and in cities and of course in countries, so. When we empower women to lead equal and dignified lives, I mean, it's not just the households, but I mean the whole world that benefits from the results of this gender equality. There is a very important link between urban planning and closing the gender gaps because cities have traditionally been designed, you know, by men and in this regard they reflect the traditional gender roles. So cities have, you know, traditionally worked better for men than they do for women and for girls. So if a city is built for, you know, neutral. Male user, if you want, it neglects the needs, the interests, the routines of women, of girls, of sexual and gender minorities within a city, and this has an enormous impact on women's, you know, access to jobs or services. So I mean if one is not cognizant to the mobility routines of women of dropping children at the daycare center, you know, as they had to work and you Disconnect locationally if you will, the daycare center from the public transportation station if there's no concern for access to infrastructure, etc. then all these cause issues related to, you know, women's ability to benefit from what cities mean in terms of the dividends, growth, productivity. Take very simple things like sidewalks. You know, for strollers, you know, public restrooms, if you just design to be identical without understanding, you know, the spatial needs, there's many other examples that one can offer that shows that when one is not attentive to the needs of women, girls within cities and is not reflecting these needs into the design of cities, then there is built environment really becomes very challenging, and it's on this basis that our global practice has prepared a handbook for gender inclusive urban planning and design to help orient some of the key issues that could help make cities welcoming women and girls and enabling them to achieve all the aspirations that are associated with life in cities. Unfortunately in my case, maybe I've never been into a situation where I would have missed on the importance of the gender dimension as a cornerstone for our work, but that's because I work on issues related to Housing and land. So I mean, you know, in particular in land and property rights, you very quickly come to terms that the impact or the lack thereof is very unequal and especially when you're brought up in a culture that sees those stark differences. So as far as access to land, access to housing, access to infrastructure and to services, I am, you know, from Egypt and I grew up out there and in an upbringing that sees these types of Challenges and especially as far as you know cities are concerned, you know, women and girls do not feel safe walking at night or as they use public transportation, you know, there's always, you know, sexual harassment up to a point where women would actually reconsider their labor force participation just because of how unapproachable public transport is, or when you're questioned about your life choices, you become naturally sensitive to the importance of gender issues. But at the same time, you know, It's something that applying it in your everyday work is also very different, you know, I work on disaster risk management and we all know that the impact of disasters is very much differentiated between people and it's, you know, usually women and children that are And the elderly and of course disabled people that are usually very worse off and affected in the context of disasters and you know as far as I'm concerned, you know, whether it's, you know, ensuring, you know, equal pay, agency, securing asset and ownership, choice and all, if you will, the pillars of the WDR 2012, but also the gender strategy. It would be critical to achieve to ensure that we have a recovery that is obviously green and resilient, but most importantly inclusive and hopefully, you know, for me this will happen, you know, sooner rather than later so that we can finally dispense of having to celebrate an International Women's Day, you know, that's meant to remind us of the persisting gap because I mean every day should be Women's Day and we should not be dealing with these relics of days past.

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Interview with Sameh Wahba Global Director GPURL

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Interview with Sameh Wahba Global Director GPURL

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