Γυναίκες και Συμμετοχική Έρευνα Δράσης στη Νέα Σμύρνη, Ελλάδα: Διαδικασία, προκλήσεις, και οφέλη για τον αστικό σχεδιασμό
Women and Participatory Action Research in Nea Smyrne: Process, challenges and benefits for urban design
Keywords:
gender, women, participatory action research, feminist action research, participatory urban design, inclusive urban governance, Greece, φύλο, γυναίκες, Συμμετοχική Έρευνα Δράσης, Φεμινιστική Έρευνα Δράσης, συμμετοχικός αστικός σχεδιασμός, συμπεριληπτική αστική διακυβέρνηση, ΕλλάδαAbstract
Περίληψη
Σε μια περίοδο συνεχούς αστικοποίησης, αυξημένων περιβαλλοντικών προβλημάτων καθώς και κοινωνικών ανισοτήτων, ο συμμετοχικός αστικός σχεδιασμός και η συμπεριληπτική (inclusive) διακυβέρνηση είναι τα μεγάλα ζητούμενα στην μετάβαση προς βιώσιμες πόλεις. Σε αυτή την εργασία παρουσιάζω μια πρωτοβουλία Συμμετοχικής Έρευνας Δράσης με γυναίκες της Νέας Σμύρνης (Αθήνα, Ελλάδα), που στόχο είχε την ενδυνάμωση των γυναικών να εκφράσουν τις ανάγκες τους στην πόλη και τον συλλογικό οραματισμό της πόλης από τη γυναικεία σκοπιά. Συζητώ τη διαδικασία με διάθεση κριτικού αναστοχασμού, διερευνώ τις προκλήσεις και τους παράγοντες που διευκολύνουν, και αναδεικνύω τα οφέλη αυτής της προσπάθειας.
Η πρωτοβουλία παρήγαγε χρήσιμες ιδέες για τον τοπικό αστικό σχεδιασμό, ενώ αμφισβήτησε την παραγκώνιση των γυναικών, ενδυναμώνοντας την ικανότητά τους για δράση και ισχυροποιώντας τη συλλογική τους φωνή. Παράλληλα, ανάδειξε έναν σημαντικό περιορισμό: τέτοιες συμμετοχικές διαδικασίες περιορίζονται μόνο σε μια κίνηση συμβολικής σημασίας, αν δεν υπάρχουν θεσμικοί μηχανισμοί που συνδέουν τη γνώση που έχει παραχθεί συμμετοχικά με τη διαδικασία λήψης αποφάσεων. Η εργασία αυτή τονίζει τον διπλό ρόλο της ΦΣΕΔ: ως διαδικασία για την ενδυνάμωση της κοινότητας αλλά και ως μέσο δημοκρατικής αστικής διακυβέρνησης.
Abstract
In a period of increasing urbanization, increased environmental problems and continued social inequalities, participatory urban design and inclusive governance are two fundamental requisites in the transition towards sustainable cities. In this paper, I present a Participatory Action Research (PAR) initiative with women of Nea Smyrne (in Greater Athens, Greece) that aimed to the expression of their concerns and needs in the city, a collective envisioning of the ‘good city’ for the future and women’s empowerment. I will discuss the process, its challenges, and the benefits for the participants and urban planning. The initiative generated valuable insights for city planning, while it challenged women’s sense of invisibility, emphasizing women’s sense of agency and collective voice. At the same time, it revealed a critical limitation: without institutional mechanisms to connect participatory knowledge to decision-making, community-driven insights risk remaining symbolic. By examining both the empowering aspects and the challenges of the process, the paper highlights the dual role of feminist participatory action research: fostering community empowerment and serving as a conduit for democratic urban governance.
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