COMMONWEALTH WOMEN IN PLANNING MANIFESTO ENDORSED BY CAP

In 2018, the Commonwealth Association of Planners reformed the Commonwealth Women in Planning Network to explore issues of gender in the built environment.  The first initiative of this Network was to develop a Manifesto, which would outline the impact and importance of considering the needs of women living and working in the built environment.  The Commonwealth Women in Planning Manifesto represents the world’s first international planning commitment to considering and advancing gender equality through the built environment and its professions. Created in collaboration with over 35 women from 11 countries, the Manifesto addresses several of the Sustainable Development Goals, including Gender Equality (SDG 5), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).  It serves as a call to action for planning professionals and a united voice for women living and working in the built environment across the Commonwealth.  By endorsing the Commonwealth Women in Planning Manifesto, the Commonwealth Association of Planners has affirmed its commitment to join the international community in supporting and developing a safe, sustainable, equitable, and prosperous planet with no one – and no place – left behind.

The Commonwealth Women in Planning Manifesto was fully endorsed by the Commonwealth Association of Planners on October 14, 2018 at their Biennial Business Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.  This Manifesto has garnered the attention and support of numerous organizations, including UN-Habitat, Women in Cities International, Women Transforming Cities, and Women in Planning (UK). To date, the Manifesto has been further endorsed by the Canadian Institute of Planners, the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Barbados Town Planning Society, and the Ghana Institute of Planners.