The rapid growth of cities and urbanization, along with the proliferation of urban living issues and challenges, has increasingly highlighted the need for the active and influential presence of women in urban management. Just as women adeptly manage household affairs, which can be seen as a microcosm of urban matters, they can also play a significant and impactful role at various levels of urban governance. The objective of the current research is to examine the role of women in urban management, using the city of Ahvaz as a case study.

Research Type: Descriptive-analytical, with both theoretical and applied objectives.

Data Collection Methods: A combination of library-based and field research methods.

Statistical Population: 20 experts in urban management from Ahvaz.

Questionnaire Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.81.

Questionnaire Validity: Confirmed by university professors and specialists.

Statistical Analysis: SPSS software and the Best-Worst Method (BWM) technique were employed for statistical analysis.

The findings indicate that indicators such as “women’s presence in urban commission meetings” (weight 0.375) and “women’s participation in managerial positions” (weight 0.1392) have the highest weights. Factors like “women’s education level” (0.0402), “women’s literacy rate” (0.0460), “women’s employment rate” (0.0365), and “government policies” (0.0365) hold intermediate weights, signifying their importance in facilitating participation. Traditional attitudes and a lack of public trust, while posing challenges, have relatively lower weights (e.g., “male support” 0.0134, “public trust” 0.0189) compared to structural factors. In terms of participatory dimensions, “women’s role in planning and designing public spaces” (0.098) is prioritized over “solving urban problems” (0.039).

The results suggest that focusing on strengthening formal participation mechanisms, enhancing women’s individual and professional capacities, alongside efforts to shift cultural and social attitudes, can lead to the effective enhancement of women’s roles in the urban management of Ahvaz.