The Women’s Affairs Unit at the College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, in cooperation with the Department of Petroleum Engineering and the Continuing Education Unit, organized a workshop entitled “Women as Essential Partners in Sustainable Urban Planning.” The workshop was delivered by Lecturer Asst. Inst. Israq Shawqi Abdul Bari from the Department of Petroleum Engineering, and was attended by a number of faculty members, students, and individuals interested in urban affairs.
The workshop addressed the importance of engaging women as active contributors to improving the quality of sustainable urban planning. It emphasized that women’s daily experiences within urban spaces serve as a genuine indicator of a city’s efficiency in terms of safety, mobility, and service provision.
The session also highlighted the concept of sustainable urban planning and its connection to everyday life, as well as the practical role women play within urban spaces. It further discussed the gap between symbolic participation and effective participation in urban decision-making processes, stressing the importance of the residential neighborhood as a starting point for enhancing women’s urban empowerment.
In conclusion, the lecturer recommended moving from symbolic representation of women toward meaningful participation in urban decision-making. She emphasized the need to integrate women’s perspectives into neighborhood and service planning, empower them to assume active roles in municipal and local committees, and adopt the residential neighborhood as a fundamental base for strengthening women’s presence in sustainable planning and development pathways.
