Seoul to promote 'women-friendly' project

SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul government said Wednesday it is launching a "women-friendly" project this year to make streets safer and brighter and more comfortable to walk in high heels.

The 128-billion-won (US$95 million) project also includes building more public
bathrooms for women, city officials said.
Over 50,000 parking spaces will be set aside exclusively for women at private and
public facilities, marked by pink lines and clustered near parking attendants or
elevators where closed-circuit cameras are installed, the Seoul Metropolitan
government said in a press release.
"The project is designed to eliminate factors that are inconvenient, unsafe and
unpleasant for women," Cho Eun-hee at the city's gender and family affairs office
said. "We will continue the project until Seoul is recognized as a good place to
live for women."
To create a safer environment for women, the city government will replace dim
street lamps with brighter lights and set up more than 1,700 closed circuit
cameras and 22,000 security lamps at secluded alleys and streets in residential
areas.
Some 5,000 more taxis will be loaded with special codes allowing passengers to
notify family members whose cab they have boarded, a measure meant to prevent
potential crimes by cab drivers.
The municipal government also promised to repair cracked sidewalks and manhole
covers that often trap high heels.
Some of the alotted budget will go to building more public restrooms for women,
as there are about 14,000 fewer for women than for men.
brk@yna.co.kr
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