Amelia Powell Joins UN Women UK at Global Gender Equality Summit

Amelia Powell, a member of Savills' Central Planning Team, has been selected by UN Women UK to participate in the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), held in New York from March 9–19, 2026. The global gathering brought together governments, campaigners, policymakers and advocates to discuss critical issues affecting women and girls, including safety, justice, education, health and economic inclusion.

Taking part virtually via several roundtable meetings, among other activities, Amelia was part of the conversation that related to the International Women’s Day theme in 2026: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” This is an indication of Amelia’s dedication to gender inclusivity in the built environment and urban planning field.

As a champion for gender inclusivity in cities, Amelia has dedicated herself in academia and profession to support gender-inclusive cities. Some of her past experiences included authoring her dissertation on gender-inclusive urban design, volunteering with Make Space for Girls organization, and setting up a think tank group focusing on gender-inclusive design consultancy.

Her participation at CSW70 reflects the growing need to weave different viewpoints into the business of urban planning and development. As cities keep shifting, there is more and more awareness that inclusive design can help build safer, more reachable and also more sustainable environments for everyone in society.

Amelia mentioned some of the themes that were discussed at CSW70 as being significant in terms  of the importance of planning, design, and infrastructure to the safety, service provision, economic opportunities, and overall belonging of women in communities. The significance of gender equality is necessary for climate resilience and sustainable development.

Key Highlights

• Gender-balanced leadership improves inclusive decision-making across organisations.
• Early design choices shape safer, more equitable communities.
•  Lived experiences should guide future urban planning decisions.

At the Commission, participants stressed the importance of working together between policymakers, developers, planners and local communities.

Amelia said that the UK built environment sector has a significant chance to steer gender-responsive design, even though there is no clear national policy demand. She also pointed national examples, like the Barcelona-based planning group Punt 6, which has put in two decades of work folding intersectional gender views into urban planning and mobility efforts. They do this largely via community engagement , and participatory design—so the voices are actually involved rather than just noted.

With regard to the broader profession of planning, Amelia stated that "better design for women and girls makes for better places for everyone." It was noted that planning practitioners must consider adopting the gendered perspective in order to promote greater equality among women and marginalized communities in cities.

The experience has further strengthened Amelia’s commitment to advocating for inclusive planning and equitable urban development. She believe that the built environment can serve as a powerful instrument for fairness, safety , and opportunity, helping create communities that mirror the diverse needs of the people they support.

Her involvement in CSW70 highlights how much gender-responsive planning is getting more attention, and strengthens the way the property and planning sector becomes lever for building more accessible, sustainable, and robust cities for the future generations.