https://reasonstobecheerful.world/nantes-france-non-sexist-city/
"The public spaces in Nantes, a city along the Loire River in the west of
France, might at first glance seem just like those in any other part of Europe.
Across the city, there are numerous bike lanes, bustling fresh produce markets
and pretty, historic squares.
But on closer inspection, there are signs of a profound attempt to make the
city, its facilities and its built environment a more equitable place for
women.
Hundreds of streets now bear the names of women, including Joséphine Baker,
Frida Kahlo and Clémence Lefeuvre — the little-known creator of local specialty
beurre blanc sauce. School yards, once dominated by soccer pitches, have been
remodeled to incorporate spaces for calm and creativity. Stations for
breastfeeding have been built in the city center to improve maternal comfort
and visibly counter stigma. Free tampon dispensers have been installed in
libraries, gyms and all kinds of other municipal buildings.
These initiatives form part of mayor Johanna Rolland’s bold plan to make
Nantes, which is home to around 700,000 people and is the sixth largest city in
France, a
ville non-sexiste, or non-sexist city. From redesigning public
areas to reallocating spending and inaugurating France’s leading center to
counter gender-based violence, Nantes is trailblazing the way to safer, less
discriminatory urban life.
“We couldn’t wait for change anymore, we had to take action,” says Mahaut
Bertu, the deputy mayor of Nantes in charge of equality, the fight against
discrimination and the non-sexist city project. “Femicides continue every year.
Women suffer harassment every day. [To make change], we had to take a hold of
the problem ourselves.”"
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
