[sustran] Re: We have a major problem here, and you can help to set it right.

[i-ce at cycling.nl]

Dear all,

I understand what Brendan means. I will give you all, as a woman and 
as an "outsider" my point of view.
I am a woman and urban designer, interested in cycling (and walking).
The sustran-Discussions seem to me sometimes very personal and 
based on own experiences rather than on broad experience. (Like: I 
once was in the bus in..... and I noticed). Please note that I mentioned 
sometimes ;-)
I am not a traffic engineer. For me there is much more to life than 
sustainable transport. The Bogota story is about public space. I know 
the BRT system there is a wide success and without a BRT system you 
won't be able to create space for pedestrians and cyclists, but a really 
important part of the model is the importance of public space for 
society.

When you think of adding topic to invite more people: we receive 
already lots of emails when it is only about busses. Maybe it is already 
existing without me noticing it, but what about a website where you can 
place discussion document (it takes more time to prepare, to think and 
the opportunity to leave out offences) and people can react to that. 
These discussions can be one specific topics. The emails are only to let 
everybody know that there is something new and interesting to find 
there about....

Well, that was it for this female urban designer.

Kind regards to all of you.

Danielle Wijnen





On 11 Aug 2004 at 13:22, Brendan Finn wrote:

> 
> Dear Kisan and Eric, 
> 
> I think Kisan's points are interesting. 
> 
> I would also add that style and tone of discussions may also have something to do with it. Guys 
> tend to seek victory in their participation, whether through "robust argument", inflicting crushing 
> defeat on the opposition, or carefully structured arguments designed to show futility of alternative 
> viewpoints. Not everyone considers this to be 'discussion', and some will avoid participation in 
> what they perceive to be a gladiatorial pit. 
> 
> Just a thought :o)
> 
> 
> Brendan Finn. 
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Contact details are : e-mail : etts at indigo.ie tel : +353.87.2530286 
>     ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Kisan Mehta 
> To: Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport 
> Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 1:08 PM
> Subject: [sustran] Re: We have a major problem here,and you can help to set it right.
> 
> Dear Eric and colleagues,
> 
> Reason for less participation by females may be our networking becoming too technical and too 
> location specific.Transportation has many more facesthan technical and economic. Discussions 
> in the internet hover around these aspects.
> 
> In our discussions we forget that social and psychological aspects are more important.In the poor 
> countries the feeling of being alienated by resorting to high sounding technological aspects makes 
> the common man and there women ignoring the issues. They become victims of the tyranny of 
> technology and economics.
> 
> Inthe male dominated government that, we have developed and are voraciously guarding, all high 
> posts are occupied by men denying access to women. 
> 
> In the poor countries, in choosingthe modes of traffic for travel, it is the man's preference that 
> gets higher priority. If stricken with no money, the money will be used by the man for his choice of 
> mode of traffic while the woman is left to lower mode and somtimes to walking. If the family is 
> taking the first car, it is normal to register in the man's name and he is given solecharge though 
> the costs are debited to the family income.
> 
> Participation, I am afraid, will most likely remain male dominated even if all of us introducetwo 
> female potential participants. Can we change the focus to more social aspect which in fact is the 
> base for transportation. Best wishes.
> 
> Kisan Mehta
> Rwel: 00 91 22 2414 9688 
>     ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: eric.britton at ecoplan.org 
> To: WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com 
> Cc: Sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:37 PM
> Subject: [sustran] We have a major problem here,and you can help to set it right.
> 
>                       Tuesday, August 10, 2004, Paris, France, Europe
> 
> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> We have a major problem here, and you can help to set it right.
> 
> I have just inspected the listing of the hundreds of us who are sharing our 
> information and thoughts on these matters of sustainable development and 
> sustainable mobility more specifically, and I note a dangerous anomaly. We are 
> more than 90% male in this forum
> 
> Is this a trivial fact of 21st century life? Unavoidable? Neither. In fact, it has long 
> been my belief that one of the main reasons why we have failed over all these years 
> to create better and softer mobility systems in our cities is that we have de facto 
> turned over the job to taskforces almost entirely of men, and not only that men who 
> went to college to learn how to move volumes fast and ‘efficiently’ in rather 
> undifferentiated ways. We have, I have to say, created an almost all male 
> transportation paradigm.
> 
> We need help and we’re lucky -- it is right at hand. So let’s start with this forum and 
> let me ask each of you to take the time to send me the names and emails of at least 
> two capable female colleagues whom we can bring into our considerations and 
> achieve the kind of balance which has been needed behind the wise decision making 
> in our field for far too long. 
> 
> Incidentally, if we can find ways to tempt in people with backgrounds that extend 
> beyond the usual limits of the traditionally dominant fields, and in particular in such 
> areas as cultural anthropology, behavioral psychology, community relations, and 
> public health, I think we would be able to make real progress. (Of course we have to 
> make it interesting for them, but it’s my theory that once we open these doors they 
> will figure out how to do this for themselves. And change us all in the process. 
> 
> (I wonder how many of you are going to accept this challenge. ;-)
> 
> Eric Britton
> 
>     The Commons: Increasing the uncomfort zone for hesitant administrators and politicians; 
>     pioneering new concepts for business, entrepreneurs, activists, community groups, and local 
>     government; and through our joint efforts, energy and personal choices, placing them and ourselves 
>     firmly on the path to a more sustainable and more just society.
> 
> 
> 
> 


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