LAHORE: The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women with the collaboration of the Punjab Women Development Department, Aurat Foundation and the Australian government have launched a pilot project in Lahore to make public transportation facilities accessible, safe and harassment-free for women. The project initially has been launched in Lahore to conduct women’s safety audit in public transport to assess women’s perceptions of safety as well as actual safety, and increase their participation in local decision-making, said a press release on Friday. Punjab Women Development Department Secretary Bushra Aman said, “In aspiring for a safe city for everyone, a focused initiative is being undertaken to assess safety of women at public spaces.” She said that women’s safety audit tool was being introduced in Pakistan for the first time. She said that the project would serve to supplement the government’s priorities for women empowerment in Punjab. She said safety concerns of the public transport in Lahore were being addressed to curb harassment of women in waiting areas and metro bus stations. She added that the initiative would be carried out together with the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA), the Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) and the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW). Mumtaz Mughal, resident director of Aurat Foundation, said that the pilot research project would identify problems being faced by female commuters on public transport. “In addition to determining on ground safety issues being faced by female commuters through interviews, focused group discussions and safety walks the safety audit bill will provides statics on the types and level of threats being faced by women, identify gaps and barriers of transport services to prevent and respond to harassment and put forward actionable recommendations to end violence against women travelers,” she said, adding that the safety audit will be conducted in select bus stops being operated by the Lahore Transport Company and the Metro Bus System. UN Women Country Representative Jamshed Kazi, “Gender equality, women’s empowerment and the prevention of violence against women at private and public spaces is a precondition for and objective of sustainable urban development. “We have taken an important first step to bring this neglected issue to the forefront by hearing first-hand from women and girls of sexual harassment and violence against them at public spaces, highlighting the impact and the universality of the issue. With our partners, we look forward to creating safer, smarter and more sustainable cities and communities where women and girls can move around easily, travel to school, markets, work or for leisure with equal rights, dignity and equal opportunities.”