Understanding Interstitial Spaces to fill gender resource gaps

This article was presented at a seminar called Karvan I Fikqr organised by Department of Sociology Jamia Milllia Islamia (JMI)University in 2012. Student co traveler from Architecture Department of JMI Ms Sana Fatma presented this paper on behalf of SAFP and Equal Saree representing the youth for women and habitat campaign ownership of the process. Abstract : Women in Okhla unlike men are more excluded from an official planning process because their worth is invisible. The research finding shows that women access 31%  less space and avail 3% less services in Okhla resulting in their lesser worth at the  familial and the governance level. Married men have 130% more income. A 14% asset gap shows that women can control fewer assets as they inherit less than men.  Gender gap favored men by 10% more in access to resources outside the house, who had 30% more access to livelihood opportunity and 7% more control of equipment as resources. As gender resource gap was found most in spousal income, livelihood opportunities and space, a spatial plan was proposed to make gender resource centers with livelihood interventions connected through safe roads with many public infrastructure for care and production spaces that women may access more. This design called the Okhla gender plan is a collaborative effort of youth and women groups who aspire for a sustainable urban environment which has space for all residents as well as migrants in the area. Outcome of this exploration are micro and macro plans with a set of next steps in form of recommendations for stakeholders at different levels.  This research shows that inclusive planning can be manifested at a local area level to develop resource increase options within a local area level plan that is linked to district planning.