World Class Cities for All Campaign—“This World Cup is not for us poor women”

World Class Cities for All Campaign—“This World Cup is not for us poor women”

Abstract

The World Class Cities For All (WCCA) Campaign was launched by StreetNet International to denounce the negative impact of mega sporting events on the lives of street vendors, the majority women, and to call for inclusive urban planning processes. The Reportback outlines the Campaign implementation in South Africa in the run up to the World Cup 2010 and in India, the Commonwealth Games, in October. It also examines how the WCCA Campaign was able to link national demands and actions focusing on the ban on trading in the exclusion zones around fan parks and calls for a xenophobic free World Cup with support from world renowned leaders Mary Robinson and Ela Bhatt to apply pressure on FIFA. The Reportback concludes with some lessons to be passed on to Brazilian street vendors and their allies as they prepare for the World Cup 2014.