Short Abstract:

How does insecurity shape women's lives and limit their potential? This panel explores the link between women's safety & development, discussing strategies for centering safety, measuring impact, and fostering empowerment for a more equitable future.

Long Abstract:

This panel explores the critical intersection of women's safety and development, recognizing that insecurity fundamentally undermines women's well-being and limits their full participation in society. We move beyond traditional development metrics to examine how various forms of insecurity – including gender-based violence, economic precarity, lack of access to justice, and social discrimination – shape women's lived realities and constrain their opportunities.

We encourage contributions that explore innovative strategies for centering women's safety in development planning and implementation, highlighting the importance of community-based solutions, legal and policy reforms, and empowerment initiatives. This panel aims to foster a robust discussion on how to create a more equitable and secure future where all women can thrive.

Some potential questions include:

1. Measuring the extent of women's lack of safety and how different cultural contexts influence the definition and experience of women's safety.

2. Examine the complex ways in which insecurity impacts women's access to education, healthcare, economic empowerment, and political participation. How can we move beyond anecdotal evidence to demonstrate the transformative potential of prioritizing women's safety in achieving broader development goals?

3. Measure the impact of safety initiatives. What are the most effective strategies for measuring the impact of interventions aimed at improving women's safety? How can we ensure that women's voices and perspectives are central to the design and implementation of safety initiatives?

Propose paper