Global leaders renew commitments to enhance the safety of cities for women and girls
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Over 150 leaders and experts from 21 countries gathered in Zanzibar from 26–28 August to chart bold, coordinated action toward creating and empowering public spaces with and for women and girls. The high-level meeting also reinforced cross-regional efforts to localize the Beijing+30 Action Agenda and accelerate progress on gender equality.
The gathering marked the Seventh Biennial UN Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Leaders’ Forum and the Fifth Global Meeting of Mayors for Gender Equality, including main partners implementing programmes that form part of the UN Safe Cities and Public Spaces Global Initiative, spanning 65 cities in 35 countries, and the first time both events were held in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Over three days, the Forum brought together leaders from local and national government, grassroots organizations, academia, women’s rights organizations, and the private sector to advance shared learning on effective safe city practices and how commitments on gender equality have been translated into action, and share new commitments for action in line with the Beijing +30 Action Agenda, the SDGs, and the six SDG transitions. Discussions focused on local evidence driven solutions including safe city partnerships focused on transforming key sectors like tourism, markets, commodity sectors in the agricultural value chain, and transportation with women’s rights and other civil society partners. Participants also explored the roles of local governments, police, and technology in shaping safe, smart and sustainable cities, addressed legislation, policy and data gaps on sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women, and emphasized the importance of ensuring institutional change to uphold women’s rights.
At the opening of the forum, President of Zanzibar, H.E. Hussein Ali Mwinyi emphasized the investments needed to create safe public spaces for women and girls in achieving sustainable development.
“The mission of the Forum lies at the heart of Zanzibar’s national priorities in ensuring safe, accessible, and sustainable public spaces for all, especially women, girls, youth, and marginalized communities,” he said, “We believe that when safety is guaranteed in public spaces, women's voices grow louder, their choices expand, and communities become more resilient and cohesive.”
President Mwinyi also commended UN Women for pioneering the Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative, highlighting its impact in showcasing innovative practices and fostering catalytic partnerships.
The UN Women Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Anna Mutavati, emphasized the importance of bringing to light often overlooked issues including sexual harassment in public spaces: “The Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Programme offers the opportunity to bring out from the shadows the often neglected and normalized issue of sexual harassment in public spaces by highlighting integrated, locally owned solutions,” she said.
She further stressed the need to address legislative, policy, and data gaps, close the digital divide and ensure safe environments for women’s decision making and participation in digital governance, and promote women’s autonomous mobility, “so that women can move freely, with dignity, both online and offline.”
The opening session of the Global Leaders’ Forum featured additional contributions from the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tanzania, the UN Women Tanzania Deputy Representative, the Ambassador of Spain to Tanzania, the European Union Delegation to Tanzania, the Mayor of Zanzibar, and Ministers responsible for gender and regional administration and local government, among others, reinforcing the importance of multilateralism, inclusive infrastructure that responds to the needs of women and girls and men and boys, and the importance of investing in long-term prevention strategies that address the multiple risk and protective factors related to ending all forms of violence against women.
Galvanizing global action
During the Forum, Zanzibar City became the first in Zanzibar, Tanzania to participate in UN Women’s Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative, marking its commitment by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with local government associations from both Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania.
“Zanzibar is fully committed to making our cities safe and empowering for all women and girls,” stated Mayor Mahmoud Muhammed Mussa. “Participating in this Global initiative provides us with a unique opportunity to enhance the safety of women and girls in urban spaces through coordinated, community-driven action.”
The MoU, signed at the Forum’s closing, establishes a framework for collaboration on implementing the commitments made during the Global Leaders’ Forum.
The 7th Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Leaders’ Forum concluded with UN Women announcing that 53 mayors of cities worldwide have endorsed the Global Commitment of Mayors in 2025, following the initial 29 mayors who supported the Global Commitment in 2023.
The Global Commitment of Mayors outlines a shared vision to build safe, inclusive, and gender-equitable cities by advancing the Beijing Platform for Action, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the New Urban Agenda. The declaration includes commitments to strengthen multi-sectoral partnerships, enhance the participation and leadership of women and girls, and develop gender-responsive policies informed by disaggregated data. It further commits to promoting sustainable gender-responsive budgeting, integrating women’s safety into urban planning, and improving access to justice, health, and social services, as well as ensuring decent work and workplaces free of sexual harassment for women and girls across all sectors, including also in the blue and green economy.