THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026

Calling for a decisive shift towards women-centric urban planning, Odisha’s Housing & Urban Development Department Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee on Wednesday said that women’s safety, accessibility and participation must be placed at the heart of urban mobility planning to build truly inclusive cities.

Addressing the Shakti Summit 2026: State WCD Leadership Conclave in Bhubaneswar, Padhee spoke on the theme “Initiatives by Odisha towards Gender Mainstreaming in Urban Mobility”, underlining the need for a comprehensive approach to planning, implementing and delivering urban transport services.

 “When women move forward, cities move forward,” Padhee said, stressing that mobility is not merely about travelling from one point to another but is closely linked to women’s access to education, employment, entrepreneurship, healthcare and wider social opportunities.

“A city cannot truly be inclusive if half of its population does not feel safe and confident while moving through it,” she observed.

Padhee said gender mainstreaming in urban mobility must begin at the planning stage and remain integral to implementation and service delivery.

She identified safe and accessible public transport, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, adequate lighting, secure public spaces, convenient last-mile connectivity and responsive transport services as key elements of a women-friendly urban mobility ecosystem.

In an inspiring moment during the session, Padhee introduced her female driver to the audience, presenting her as a living example of women challenging conventional stereotypes and entering professions traditionally considered male-dominated.

 “Gender mainstreaming cannot remain confined to policies and documents. It must be visible in our everyday lives and in the people who deliver our public services,” she said.

Padhee emphasised that greater participation of women as drivers, transport personnel, planners, technology professionals and service providers can play a crucial role in transforming the mobility ecosystem.

She also stressed that women should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of urban mobility programmes, but as active participants and decision-makers in the transport sector.

Greater representation of women across the mobility workforce, she said, can contribute to more responsive services while strengthening the sense of safety and confidence among women passengers.

Highlighting the importance of participatory planning, Padhee said policymakers must listen to women’s lived experiences while designing urban infrastructure.

 “The best way to design a city for women is to listen to women,” she said, calling for greater consultation, evidence-based planning and continuous feedback from women using public transport and public spaces.

She said Odisha’s gender-responsive urban mobility agenda must form part of a broader vision of inclusive, people-centric urban development, where infrastructure, technology and governance work together to make cities safer, more accessible and more liveable.

Padhee’s address reinforced the larger message emerging from the summit — that gender-responsive mobility is not simply about enabling women to travel safely, but about creating conditions that allow them to participate fully in the economic, social and civic life of cities.

The emphasis on women’s mobility, representation and decision-making also highlighted the need for urban transport systems to evolve beyond conventional infrastructure-led approaches and place people, particularly women, at the centre of city planning.