Gender and Prosperity of Cities, State of Women in Cities 2012/2013

There are two main standpoints that propagate the benefits of urbanisation. One is that cities are associated with opportunities for wealth generation. Concomitant to this is the idea that urban women supposedly enjoy greater social, economic, political opportunities and freedoms than their rural counterparts. However, the notable gender gaps in labour and employment, decent work, pay, tenure rights, access to and accumulation of assets, personal security and safety and representation in formal structures of urban governance show that women are often the last to benefit from the prosperity of cities. The State of Women in Cities 2012/2013 Report focuses on Gender and the Prosperity of Cities.

The Report examines the gender dimensions of the defining characteristics of a prosperous city- productivity, infrastructure development, quality of life, equity and social inclusion and environmental sustainability. It provides a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between gender and prosperity and also reviews policies and institutional frameworks relevant for mainstreaming gender concerns in cities.