Do gender equality and women's empowerment influence socially sustainable urban development in developing cities?

IF 1.9 3区社会学 Q2 WOMENS STUDIES

Womens Studies International Forum Pub Date : 2025-10-07 DOI:10.1016/j.wsif.2025.103220

Sultana Razia , Marufa Akter , Md Azizur Rahman

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Gender equality and women's empowerment (GEWE) are fundamental pillars of social sustainability and are integral to achieving comprehensive socio-economic development. Despite the accelerating urbanization in many developing countries, significant gaps remain in advancing GEWE, thus hindering the achievement of equitable development in these regions. This study aims to assess the current state of GEWE and examine its influence on socially sustainable urban development (SSUD), with a focus on the interconnections between gender equality and urban sustainability. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the study combined a structured questionnaire survey with key informant interviews to gather quantitative and qualitative data. Dhaka, chosen as a representative city from the Global South, served as the case study. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 673 residents, ensuring a diverse and representative sample for analysis. The study revealed low satisfaction levels among respondents concerning the current state of GEWE, suggesting a gap between policy intentions and on-the-ground realities. Additionally, a robust positive correlation was found between GEWE and SSUD in Dhaka, a relationship consistently confirmed through various statistical tests. Expert interviews further highlighted the importance of addressing seven key GEWE indicators to foster more inclusive and sustainable urban development. This study's findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and government agencies, emphasizing the need to integrate GEWE into urban development frameworks. The research underscores the critical role of GEWE in achieving SSUD in Dhaka and other rapidly urbanizing cities within developing countries. The study contributes to ongoing discussions around SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), reinforcing the importance of gender equality as a central driver of sustainable urban futures.

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性别平等和妇女赋权是否影响发展中城市的社会可持续城市发展？

性别平等和赋予妇女权力是社会可持续性的基本支柱，是实现全面社会经济发展的组成部分。尽管许多发展中国家正在加速城市化，但在推进全球环境平等方面仍存在巨大差距，从而阻碍了这些地区实现公平发展。本研究旨在评估GEWE的现状，并研究其对社会可持续城市发展（SSUD）的影响，重点关注性别平等与城市可持续性之间的相互联系。该研究采用混合方法，将结构化问卷调查与关键信息访谈相结合，以收集定量和定性数据。达卡被选为全球南方的代表性城市，作为案例研究。采用多阶段抽样技术，选取673名居民，确保分析样本的多样性和代表性。该研究显示，受访者对GEWE现状的满意度较低，表明政策意图与实际情况之间存在差距。此外，在达卡，GEWE和SSUD之间发现了强有力的正相关，这种关系通过各种统计检验得到了一致的证实。专家访谈进一步强调了解决七个关键GEWE指标对促进更具包容性和可持续的城市发展的重要性。本研究结果为政策制定者、城市规划者和政府机构提供了有价值的见解，强调了将GEWE纳入城市发展框架的必要性。该研究强调了GEWE在达卡和发展中国家其他快速城市化城市实现可持续发展方面的关键作用。该研究有助于围绕可持续发展目标5（性别平等）和可持续发展目标11（可持续城市和社区）进行的讨论，强调了性别平等作为可持续城市未来核心驱动力的重要性。

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来源期刊

Womens Studies International Forum WOMENS STUDIES-

CiteScore

2.50

自引率

7.10%

发文量

审稿时长

79 days

期刊介绍： Women"s Studies International Forum (formerly Women"s Studies International Quarterly, established in 1978) is a bimonthly journal to aid the distribution and exchange of feminist research in the multidisciplinary, international area of women"s studies and in feminist research in other disciplines. The policy of the journal is to establish a feminist forum for discussion and debate. The journal seeks to critique and reconceptualize existing knowledge, to examine and re-evaluate the manner in which knowledge is produced and distributed, and to assess the implications this has for women"s lives.