New report on culture and gender

In the framework of the last steps-forward of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) towards gender equality, the empowerment of women and the active participation of women in decision-making and public life, UCLG Committee on Culture has been promoting research on ‘The Role of Culture in Achieving Gender Equality’, as a contribution from the cultural perspective to address women’s rights and gender-responsive policies for sustainable development.

As a result of this research work led by Farida Shaheed, former UN Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights, the report "Cultural Actions Supporting Gender Equality in Cities and Territories" is informed by UCLG and UCLG Culture Committee policy documents and resources, as well as by contributions of UCLG members and consultation mechanisms on the latest elements of the international debate on culture, gender equality and sustainable development.

Drawing upon data collected from UCLG archives, the experience and insights of UCLG members and partners that responded to an open call to submit gender-equality initiatives in the cultural field, extensive research of positive examples from around the globe and a series of key informant interviews, and noting too challenges that require further discussion and debate, the document presents policies, programmes or projects recently implemented at the local level which constitute inspiring achievements in this field, and includes a list of key policy areas to be considered, first and foremost, by cities and local governments in their policies relating to gender equality and culture.

This report was presented as a draft on 10 September 2021 at the UCLG Culture Summit held in Izmir and online, at the plenary session “Promoting Local Actions on Culture and Gender Equality”. The final version was published on 29 October 2021.