Speaker
Description
The intertwined crises of climate change and care work represent critical challenges of contemporary society, with pronounced gender dimensions impacting the causes, effects, and mitigation strategies. Within small and medium sizes towns the challenges are often overlooked. Much of the existing discourse focuses on urban contexts, leaving small and medium-sized towns, particularly in rural areas, underexplored. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the effects of the climate and care crises on gender equality in these towns, with a specific focus on Austria.
In small and medium-sized towns, divers genders face unique challenges including heightened risk of poverty, limited access to education and healthcare, increased unpaid care work, and restricted political participation. These challenges are compounded by traditional gender roles, lack of infrastructure, and poor mobility options. The paper argues for the integration of intersectional feminist perspectives into rural planning and policymaking to address these issues effectively.
Gender planning can help identify and mitigate structural inequalities, promoting more equitable development. This approach necessitates the adaptation of structures rather than forcing individuals to adapt, ensuring that diverse needs are met, and gender roles are not perpetuated. The research highlights innovative projects and policy recommendations to address the unique needs in small and medium sized towns. For instance, enhancing public transport infrastructure and developing sustainable mobility solutions can significantly improve accessibility. Retrofitting detached houses and encouraging mixed-use development can also support more equitable living conditions. Moreover, the paper emphasizes the importance of inclusive decision-making processes, advocating for greater representation of divers gender in political and planning roles. Effective gender planning requires robust community engagement, transparency, and the incorporation of local knowledge.
Intersectionality focuses on the interrelationship of gender and other social inequalities (Lenz 2010, 158). Kimberlé Crenshaw developed the concept of intersectionality in 1989, to emphasize the influences of various social inequalities (cf. ibid.). She used the image of the intersection to visualize the difference and different dimensions of social inequality. Since that the interweaving of categories such as sex, class and race has since expanded (cf. ibid.). The aim of the intersectionality approach is to clarify "that forms of oppression and disadvantage cannot be added together but must be considered in their entanglements and interactions" (Küppers 2014, para. 1) and in some cases, cause inequalities at different levels.
The roles shared within a family are influenced by various factors such as cultural norms, personal beliefs, and individual preferences but also by the type of housing and the settlement structure as well. Due to the low density of single-family residential areas, the availability of infrastructure is limited. Furthermore, the physical layout of a detached house often offers more space for each family member which has to be maintained as well as the garden.
In conclusion, addressing the climate and care crises through an intersectional gender lens is crucial for fostering equality and resilience in small and medium-sized towns. This paper calls for comprehensive research and targeted policies to ensure sustainable and gender-just solutions, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and livable environment for all genders in small and medium sized town.
References
Küppers, Carolin (2014): Intersektionalität. In: Gender Glossar/Gender Glossary. (5 Absätze). Verfügbar unter: https://www.gender-glossar.de/post/intersektionalitaet (13.05.2024).
Lenz, Ilse (2010): Intersektionalität: Zum Wechselverhältnis von Geschlecht und sozialer Ungleichheit. In: Becker, Ruth; Kortendiek, Beate (Ed.): Handbuch Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung: Theorie, Methoden, Empirie. 3. erweiterte und durchgesehene Auflage. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaft, S. 158-165.
| Keywords | gender planning; regional development; climate crisis; small and medium towns |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
