The cities of Barcelona, Freetown, Mexico, London, Los Angeles and Tokyo have co-founded a network focused on gender equity, with mayors warning that the Covid-19 pandemic risks widening inequalities.
Through ‘CHANGE’ (City Hub and Network for Gender Equity), the cities will share best practices, policies and innovative new approaches for tackling sexism, misogyny and gender-based injustice.
The first chair of the network will be Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti. Other founding members are Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona; Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown; Dr Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Chief of Government, Mexico City; and Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo – who are all the first elected female leaders of their cities – and Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London.
During the launch of the network, the leaders highlighted numerous continuing forms of discrimination against women and girls which must be tackled, including access to opportunities, unequal pay, physical and sexual violence, a disproportionate share of unpaid labour and low levels of political representation.
Photo: Irene Giunta
Mayors form network to fight for feminist cities