New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) Former Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Zubin Irani on Saturday said building a gender-equity ecosystem is vital to making women self-reliant and future-ready, stressing the need to put women at the centre of development policies.

Speaking at the We4Her Foundation's flagship event, Irani launched two reports highlighting the impact of gendered urban planning and the role of women-led green startups.

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"To future-proof us, we need to put women at the centre. Make them independent enough to lead voices, shape gender narratives, and don't just amplify a voice build it, believe in it, back it," she said.

Organised in collaboration with advisory firm Primus Partners, the event brought together policymakers, corporates, NGOs and grassroots leaders to explore how Indian cities can be made safer and more inclusive for women, according to a statement.

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Held at the India Habitat Centre, the event featured discussions on women's workforce participation, gender-sensitive infrastructure, and financial inclusion, it mentioned.

The reports covered field studies from Delhi, Mumbai and Bhopal on how access to transit and safety affects women's employment, and profiled women-led sustainable businesses under the UnPollute 2024 initiative, the statement read.

According to the report, studies conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhopal, revealed that gender-neutral urban planning often overlooks the specific needs of women, leading to barriers in their economic participation.

"It found that lack of safe and reliable public transport, inadequate sanitation facilities, and poor street lighting significantly impact women's mobility and access to work opportunities," it said.

The study called for gender-sensitive infrastructure and planning that prioritises safety, accessibility, and inclusivity in urban design, it stated.

The event concluded with a call for sector-wide collaboration to drive meaningful change, it added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)