National Institute of Urban Affairs, in collaboration with United Nations India and the British High Commission India, hosted a three-day National Conclave on ‘Gender and Disability Inclusion in Indian Cities’ from 28th to 30th April 2022 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Nidhi Goyal, Founder and Executive Director, was on the panel: “Gender and Disability Inclusion in Urban Development: A Policy Intervention” on 28th April 2022. She talked about a “feminist disability lens”, especially in terms of how it relates to urban planning and development anduniversal design. According to Nidhi, it is really about having space for all, regardless of the intersections they stand at — about having equitable access to resources and opportunities.
There was an emphasis on participation, collective decision making and proper implementation in urban development. The institutional, legal, and regulatory environments were taken into the panel’s consideration and a review of national and international policies and standards on gender and disability inclusion in the urban context was done, including the RPWD Act, UNCRPD, SDGs, New Urban Agenda & the Sendai Framework. Key challenges and gaps in the relevant policies and practices were assessed and discussed.