At the World Cities Summit 2026, UNDP’s session "Safe and Inclusive Cities: Advancing Gender-Responsive Urban Futures" echoed a simple but powerful message: gender-responsive urban governance is about the everyday systems that shape decisions on how people move, work, care, access services, and feel safe in their own city.

The discussion  highlighted the role of women’s leadership in decision-making as a driving force behind more innovative policies and programmes for gender-inclusive, safe, and caring cities.

Mayor Joy Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City (QC), Philippines, showed what it means to move from policy to practice. Through the Gender and Development Council (GAD) Council Office, gender-responsive budgeting, survivor-centered services, equitable childcare, QC Cares for domestic workers, Tindahan ni Ate Joy, and No Woman Left Behind, Quezon City is treating care, livelihoods, safety, and social protection as core parts of city governance, not as separate welfare programmes.

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, reflected on how Cambridge is supporting families through universal pre-Kand Rise Up Cambridge. Her message that “families know their own needs better than we do” captured why childcare, income security, and choice matter so deeply in expanding opportunity.

Cordula Oertel, Head of Strategic Partner Development, Google Maps Partnerships, Google, invited us to rethink what a “smart city” should mean. She showed how tools such as Accessible Places, Detailed Voice Guidance, Tree Canopy insights, Plus Codes, and women-owned business attributes can help cities understand how they are actually lived, while keeping trust, privacy, and human accountability at the center.

Sally Capp, Former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia, brought attention to the workers who keep cities running after dark. Melbourne’s experience showed how mapping the night-time economy, training venue staff, using discreet safe words, improving late-night transport, and bringing housing closer to jobs can make safety a shared responsibility across city systems, businesses, workers, and communities.

Ratna Delia Octaviana, Associate Director, Urban Planning, Ramboll, grounded the discussion in the details of everyday journeys. Shaded walkways, safe crossings, lighting, toilets, seating, wayfinding, and barrier-free access may seem small, but they often decide whether people feel confident, safe, and included. She also reminded us that climate resilience should protect people, not only assets.

A key milestone of the session was the launch of UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal for Cities. Adapted from UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, the Seal supports city governments to assess their systems, develop a tailored roadmap, implement reforms, and work toward certification. 

Bringing the discussion together, Moderator Sudha Gooty, Regional Advisor and Team Leader on Gender Equality, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub shared how UNDP is supporting cities to take these ideas forward through its regional work on gender-responsive urban futures, built around four connected pillars: Cities Leadership Accelerator, Safer and Livable Cities Diagnostic Lab, Care Economy Catalyst, and Gender Equality Seal for Cities. 

Together, with these pillars and tools like the Gender Equality Seal for Cities and the Care Georeferencing Tool, UNDP is supporting cities to move from discussion to implementation through practical diagnostics, evidence, partnerships, and measurable reforms.