Recommendations into Action Brief COVID-19: Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls

The year 2021 commemorates the 10-year anniversary of UN Women’s Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative—the first global initiative that aims to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence that women and girls often experience and fear in public spaces. This brief details some of the ways safe city partners from different sectors, in a short six months, have taken action in line with the recommendations set out in UN Women’s policy brief on COVID-19 and ensuring safe cities and safe public spaces for women and girls. Leaders within and across countries, cities and communities continue to demonstrate their resolve as they work to implement their holistic flagship programmes and ensure that the prevention and response to sexual harassment in public spaces and other forms of violence against women is firmly embedded in development and recovery plans. This action forms part of each city’s multi-year comprehensive safe city and safe public spaces initiative with women and girls. This brief is part of the “EVAW COVID-19 briefs” series.