Smart City Solutions to Gender Inequality

Abstract

With the increasing number of cities worldwide, urban social problems have become a topic for discussion. Urbanization is generally associated with womens emancipation and greater opportunities in the areas concerning economic, social, and political life that otherwise would not be in sight. However, in cities, they still face constraints and limitations based on their gender. Inequalities can be observed in citizens' daily lives, especially regarding public space, services, governance, and participation. A city is a social space influenced by existent hierarchies, values, symbolic domains, and power relations. There are differences between how men and women use public transportation and public space. Moreover, women are much less active when it comes to participating in community life and city governance as they are less likely to become decision- makers or be voted for a political position. The Smart City concept promotes building an efficient living urban space with the introduction of various technological solutions and methods to improve the quality of life of its citizens. Its agenda includes sustainable and inclusive growth based on social inclusion and delivering equal opportunities for all the residents, no matter their gender. Although the concept concerns interdisciplinary research fields, gender issues relevance has not been widely discussed. Smart Cities can address the currently existing gender disproportions in cities and be a way of bridging the gap through the introduction of technology solutions and gender- sensitive governance. Therefore, the importance of Smart City initiatives for achieving greater gender equality should be discussed and analyzed.