Gender equality & Gender-based violence
Even though they make up half of the population, women do not and cannot enjoy urban life the same way as men because cities have historically been planned by and for men. In recent years, the concept of gender-friendly cities has emerged to rethink urban planning and urban security with the specific needs and concerns of women and girls in mind. This can mean increasing public lighting in passageways or other poorly lit public spaces so that women are not afraid of using them, or ensuring that public spaces used for sports and leisure are not exclusively geared towards boys (e.g. football pitches, skate parks, and such). Efus has long promoted such a feminist, gender-based perspective on urban security.
Another aspect of gendered urban security relates to violence against women and girls. All over the world, women are still victims of femicide, often the consequence of a series of harassments and assaults. They are also victims of physical, emotional, structural, sexual, cultural, verbal and economic violence, which are manifestations of inequality between men and women. Women are at risk both in private and public spaces, and local and regional authorities can play an essential role in the prevention of such violence and in increasing women’s general safety.
> Recommendations from the 2025 Security, Democracy and Cities manifesto:
– Sexual & Gender violence
– Discriminatory violence
> Reports from the 2024 Security, Democracy and Cities conference:
– Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
– Discriminatory violence
European cooperation projects
- Sport+ (European Prize for Social Integration Through Sport) (2015–2016)
- Secucities Women: victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and transborder cooperation (2001–2003)
- Secucities Women: victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation (2002)
- Secucities Abused and neglected elderly women (2001–2002)
- Secucities Women: victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and transborder cooperation (1999–2000)
- Secucities Women: cities and places of trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation (1998-1999)
Publications & Ressources
- Secucities Women: Victims of Trafficking For The Purpose Of Sexual Exploitation and Transborder Cooperation (Efus 2003)
- Abused and Neglected Elderly Women (Efus 2003)
- Secucities Women: Is a Gender-Differentiated Approach Relevant in terms of Urban Safety? (Efus 1999)
- Cities and Places of Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation (Efus 1999)
Practice Sheets
Discover the actions implemented in communities across Europe through our summary documents, which present the key elements of each of these initiatives, including their context, objectives, activities, budget, evaluation. If you are interested in a practice sheet, please contact contact@efus.eu.
