Why the world is still not built for women | Virginia Santy
TED Talks Daily Podcast Recap
Published:
Duration: 15 min
Guests: Virginia Santy
Summary
Virginia Santy discusses how the world has been designed primarily for men, leaving women in environments that do not cater to their needs. She proposes redesigning spaces, workplaces, and even cities to better accommodate and value women, highlighting the potential economic and social benefits.
What Happened
Virginia Santy opens with a simple but profound question about comfort and safety in everyday environments, noting that these are often overlooked for women, whose bodies and needs are not considered in design. She points out that the world has historically been built for men, from the proportions detailed in Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man to the standard office temperature settings.
Santy shares how she began envisioning a workspace designed for women, addressing common issues like narrow parking spaces and inconvenient door designs, which often do not consider women's needs. By asking women about their experiences, she tailored a workspace that included features like wider parking spaces for car seats and reduced door opening forces.
The workplace also incorporated on-site childcare facilities, acknowledging the reality of working mothers who juggle professional duties with caregiving. Santy argues this not only creates a more supportive environment but also fosters collaboration and ambition among women, something often hindered in traditional male-centric designs.
Santy highlights the economic implications of not accommodating women in the workforce, noting that equal workforce participation could boost the US GDP by 5% or $1 trillion. She emphasizes that women's financial security positively impacts families and communities.
Broadening her vision to city planning, Santy addresses the lack of consideration for women in urban design. Only 2% of US city plans mention women, despite their significant role in caregiving and household responsibilities, which are often neglected in city infrastructure.
Santy imagines a city designed with women's needs in mind, where public transit supports caregiving activities, and everyday tasks are facilitated. She emphasizes that valuing women's contributions and designing spaces with their experiences in mind could lead to more equitable and prosperous communities.
Key Insights
- Virginia Santy identifies that most environments are designed with men's bodies and needs in mind, often neglecting women's comfort and safety. This oversight can result in spaces that are inconvenient and ill-suited for women, particularly in workplaces.
- Incorporating women's experiences into design can lead to more effective and supportive environments. By consulting women and addressing their specific needs, Santy developed a workspace with features like wider parking spaces and reduced door forces, which better accommodate women's daily experiences.
- There are significant economic incentives to improving women's participation in the workforce. Santy notes that if women worked at the same levels as men, the US GDP could increase by 5%, suggesting a substantial financial benefit to creating more inclusive work environments.
- City planning often overlooks women's needs, with only 2% of city plans in the US mentioning women. Santy argues that considering women's caregiving responsibilities and public transit usage could lead to more family-friendly and efficient urban environments.