<
https://theconversation.com/the-challenge-for-chauffeur-mums-navigating-a-city-that-wasnt-planned-for-women-193392>
"Chauffeur mums are a well-known Australian phenomenon. A lack of convenient
transport options coupled with gendered roles has made many suburban women (and
their children) car-dependent, whether they like it or not. And, more often
than not, the demands of household chores and child rearing fall more heavily
on women.
The car is the default option because public transport services are a poor fit
for the complex travel patterns of working mothers. Schools and childcare are
often not conveniently located close to either home or the workplace. Managing
drop-offs in peak hour while trying to get to work on time can be a nightmare.
Lower workforce participation and higher rates of part-time and casual work
among women are also sometimes due simply to the fact that women can’t get to
work quickly and efficiently.
So many of the issues women face are a result of urban planning that hasn’t
properly considered their needs. As one planner explained to researchers:
“The way that we learn and do planning in Australia is a derived Victorian
model. The reasons why development is regulated and the way that planning is
regulated and the language we use is hugely around those very white male
concepts.”
These gendered impacts need to be placed at the heart of all stages of urban
planning, an approach known as gender mainstreaming. Until this happens, our
cities won’t be woman-friendly."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
