Maha Gorton On How The Women’s Pavilion At Expo City Is Championing Inclusive City Living For Emirati Women
Around the world, less than 25 per cent of architects and just one in three urban planners are women. At the same time, 75 per cent of global infrastructure is designed without considering gender at all. The result? Cities that often overlook the everyday realities of women and girls – from safety and public transport to caregiving spaces and community services
In the run-up to the 10th Emirati Women’s Day on 28 August, the Women’s Pavilion at Expo City Dubai is turning the spotlight on how Emirati women are shaping the way we live in urban environments.
Under the 2025 Emirati Women’s Day theme, “Hand in Hand, Celebrating the 50th” the Women’s Pavilion is excited to host “Her City, Her Future”, a powerful reflection of our mission to champion inclusive, resilient cities shaped by – and for – women.
The Women’s Pavilion was created as a space for learning, progress and empowerment, rooted in the belief that a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world begins with the full and equal participation of women. Now more than ever, that participation must extend to how we design and govern our cities.
Around the world, less than 25 per cent of architects and just one in three urban planners are women. At the same time, 75 per cent of global infrastructure is designed without considering gender at all. The result? Cities that often overlook the everyday realities of women and girls – from safety and public transport to caregiving spaces and community services.
As someone who has lived abroad and walked home on dimly lit streets after late classes, I know that sense of unease is universal among women. These aren’t just inconveniences. They’re barriers to freedom of movement, to opportunity and to wellbeing.
That’s why we must design differently.
When cities are shaped with women’s perspectives in mind, everyone benefits. At Expo City Dubai, for example, we’ve become a Certified Autism CenterTM, with infrastructure and services designed to accommodate diverse needs, including many that were highlighted by women. Because when women are heard, cities become more inclusive, more humane and more resilient.
Representation matters. Not just in planning meetings, but in decision-making roles across every level of society. At Expo City Dubai, women make up almost half of our workforce and nearly one third of leadership positions – around 20 per cent of which are held by Emirati women. This diversity of leadership is central to our mission and to building the kind of future-ready city the world needs.
On August 28, I’m proud to celebrate Emirati Women’s Day at the Women’s Pavilion with a programme that honours those women shaping more inclusive, resilient cities and communities. Highlighting leadership in urban design, wellness, sports and economic innovation and culture, our gathering will spark conversations – and action – around the urgent topic of gender-inclusive urban planning in what, despite broader gender equality gains, remains a male-dominated field.
Shortly afterwards, in October this year, Expo City will also host the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayors’ Forum, which will shine a light on women as city-makers across grassroots and governance levels. From a dedicated Women’s World Majlis to forums on urban safety and sessions on how we design urban areas with wellbeing built into every step, APCS aims to inform and drive tangible policy changes that will lead to safer, more inclusive and sustainable cities for everyone. Indeed, summits like these are crucial for raising awareness, shifting perspectives and inspiring actionable change because they recognise that the challenges women face in urban spaces – underscored by systemic inequalities and unequal access to resources – often go unnoticed until they are explicitly addressed.
At the Women’s Pavilion, we believe cities that work for women, work for everyone. I look forward to welcoming you this Emirati Women’s Day to continue the conversation – and to take bold steps, together, towards a more inclusive urban future.
Visit Emirati Women’s Day: Women in Cities on Thursday, 28 August, 9.00AM-12.00PM, Women’s Pavilion, Expo City Dubai