What is your policy challenge? How are you going to communicate with your stakeholders? And how do you link what we learn on the network level with your work on a local level? Those were some of the questions discussed in the last transnational network meeting in the end of November. A peer supportive workshop on the road towards six integrated action plans.
With an engaged and professional moderator in our lead expert Dr. Mary Dellenbaugh-Losse this digital workshop focused on very concrete questions to complete the integrated action plans. As the plans shall be submitted to URBACT by the end of the year, this session provided valuable and timely discussions to move forward in the process. All six cities at this workshop interviewed each other in group sessions, using the same questions and writing in a common document. An effective method for making everything easily visible and useful for all partner cities in the network.
Having the opportunity to listen to some parts of all the group discussions it is obviously that the Covid-19 situation have impacted on many parts of the plans that need participation of stakeholders. At the same time the situation simply needs to be handled flexibly and new solutions are found in the network. But plans for physical meetings and events in late 2021 and onwards are still there to work with, and look forward to.
On policy level there is a diversity among the partners concerning anchoring and how the different departments can be involved, and in what topics.
Discussions about finding concrete questions to work with were also highlighted, pointing out how important it is to identify them more specifically, linking to the local level and create broader involvement. How self-driving cars affect the feeling of safety for women, was one example. Another idea that came up was the one called “Inclusion yard” – a school yard made equally accessible for girls and boys in schools. Concrete ideas that might be put to the test in local small-scale actions.
The next transnational meeting for our network APN GenderedLandscape is in February. By that time the six integrated action plan roadmaps should be ready to go into action.