Jury comment
The “Safe in Her City” gender audit tool is an analytical technique that empowers women to assess their safety and inform the evaluation and design of the public environment. It recognizes the need for a gender lens to qualitatively assess and reveal the experiences of women in public spaces.
This exemplary initiative highlights issues that impact the safety, freedom and movement of women and girls, who often feel unsafe and can be the target of sexual harassment and violence in public space. The City of Casey’s leadership is congratulated, both for recognizing the need for this tool and for working with Monash University to champion its development in a form that is replicable, scalable and easily adopted by communities elsewhere. Given that women constitute half the population, this much-needed tool will assist urban designers in better responding to gender inclusivity.
The “Safe in Her City” gender audit tool is an analytical technique that empowers women to assess their safety and inform the evaluation and design of the public environment. It recognizes the need for a gender lens to qualitatively assess and reveal the experiences of women in public spaces.
This exemplary initiative highlights issues that impact the safety, freedom and movement of women and girls, who often feel unsafe and can be the target of sexual harassment and violence in public space. The City of Casey’s leadership is congratulated, both for recognizing the need for this tool and for working with Monash University to champion its development in a form that is replicable, scalable and easily adopted by communities elsewhere. Given that women constitute half the population, this much-needed tool will assist urban designers in better responding to gender inclusivity.
The ‘Safe in Her City’: Applying a gender lens to promote safety in public places and space was developed in Victoria, on the land of the Bunurong and Wurundjeri people.
To view all the winners of the 2021 Australian Urban Design Awards, go here.
