IG LIVE: Meeting the writers behind SDG 5 Policy Brief

Last week, 29 March, the Global Youth Coalition hosted an Instagram LIVE session to meet with the writers behind the recently released Policy Brief on Gender Equality and Road Safety. The session was facilitated by YOURS - Youth for Road Safety Junior Project Manager Sana’a Khasawneh and was participated by SDG Champions Laura Daniela Gomez and Valeria Bernal Castillo. 

The session focused on the importance and necessity of connecting road safety and sustainable mobility with issues around gender and equality. The writers of the policy brief also talked the viewers through the process of writing the brief, emphasizing that it was hugely based on their experiences as young people and as youth leaders. 

Daniela shared some of her experiences working on road safety as a project manager. She explained that women and youth need to be included in projects and initiatives to address road safety as it is a wide topic that significantly affects both women and children not just when it comes to public transport but also in more sustainable modes of mobility such as walking and cycling.

“More women need to be involved to promote safe transport and mobility to prevent gender-based violence in public spaces.” - Laura Daniela Gomez, SDG Champion

Touching on the realities girls and women face while navigating through transport systems not built for them, Sana’a acknowledged and pointed out how cities are not designed for women’s needs. To address this, the writers agree that leading awareness campaigns in communities around gender and road safety will help achieve the SDGs connected to gender equality and road safety. 

Valeria talked emphasized how women worldwide use public transportation to take care, not only of their own needs but also those of their families. She cites how women usually rely heavily on transportation for caregiving needs. 

“Women are the majority users of public transport worldwide and they can often be at risk of sexual harassment while using public transport.  This hinders their access to mobility options and hence, impacts their quality of life”.

The SDG 5 Policy Brief talks about the lack of gender-responsive planning and implementation around mobility systems that prevent gender equality. It also explains how this issue jeopardizes the achievement of SDG 3.6: halving the number of road-related deaths and injuries by 2030