Why Gender and Transport?

Samantha Hung Senior Social Development Specialist (Gender and Development) ADB

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

What does this tell you?

Gender equality concerns are key to Sustainable Transport

Sustainable transport system = accessible, responsive, safe, environment-friendly, and affordable Social sustainability is a key element
Gender equality at the core Consideration of gender leverages attention to other social issues

Transport & Inclusion/Exclusion

Exclusion from transport services may constrain peoples to access basic services Transport decisions can exclude some groups Gender helps draw attention to other forms of exclusion (e.g. poor, age, disability)

Gender inclusive transport services can contribute to inclusion, gender equality & womens empowerment.
if existing gender inequalities are addressed simultaneously

Potential Gender Benefits from Transport

Short-Term Employment during construction & maintenance Better labor conditions

Medium- to Long-Term Access to health and education Access to markets, jobs, economic opportunities Increased mobility & security Time saving & reduced workload

Importance of gender analysis in transport Introduction of Gender Analysis

Reproductive Role Productive Role

(Child-care, collecting water and fuel, escorting household members to access services, household maintenance) (Wage labor, agricultural production, marketing)

Community Role
(managing community and social relations and networks, community meetings and action)

all intersect with travel patterns

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Key gender issues for Transport

Gender differences in use of modes Gender differences in travel patterns Gender differences in time use & time poverty Gender difference in access to resources for travel Gendered differences in use & access to public space

Key Gender-Based Constraints (1)

Barriers to mobility
Rural context Women travel often by foot, around the home Importance of feeder roads, footpaths, footbridges Urban context Women may be more reliant on public transport Womens multiple tasks may prevent or add to travel times Socio-cultural constraints

Key Gender-Based Constraints (2)

Barriers to gender-equal access to services Roads not enough, need transport services Lack of intermediate means of transport Affordability Reliability linked to time poverty Quality of services

Key Gender-Based Constraints (3)

Barriers to economic opportunities

Limited access to vehicles Going beyond main roads Road alignment Lack of capacity to fully capture economic opportunity (e.g., skills, credit, property)

Photo from AIT

Key Gender-Based Constraints (4)

Barriers to employment in transport sector

Women cannot travel far to construction sites Limited job information & skills Different approaches to pay vs. contribution Work harassment and lack of child care facilities Modern urban transport is male dominated sector

Key Gender-Based Constraints (5)

Barriers to safety and security
Road safety ignores gender Sexual harassment on public transport Physical designs and services in support of womens transport security & safety complicate projects!
e.g. lighting, womens spaces, location

Key Gender-Based Constraints (6)

Barriers to influencing decision-making
Lack of critical mass of women in transport sector Voices of women as road & transportation users not heard No incentive for service to respond to womens needs
Peters (2011)

Specific gender issues in urban transport

Limited gender analysis on urban transport patterns Transport routes into city centre may affect womens and mens employment differently Womens greater reliance on public transport Physical design & schedules of public transport Non-motorized transport e.g. walking, bicycles Synchronizing formal & informal public transport
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ma uricekoop/311344940/

What do we know about gender & urban travel?

Some examples:
83 % women in Chennai walk to work, compared with 63% men. In Chengdu, 59 % of women surveyed walked, compared with 39% of men. 32% of men and 19% of women cycled. In Dhaka, 70.6 % of women workers made 1-2 two trips per day, 7 % made 3-4 trips per day ADB research in Armenia showed that women spent between 20 minutes to 1.5 hours a day on the Metro (while for men its 15 40 minutes) . Also women relied more on off-peak and peripheral public transport routes

Potential adverse gender impacts & risks

Gender-specific vulnerabilities in
HIV/AIDS risks Unsafe migration/human trafficking risks Resettlement Labor standards Gendered vulnerabilities of indigenous groups

Ways to address gender in transport projects?

Policy Enabling gender-responsive sector policy & institutions Participation - of women and men in policy development, project planning, implementation and monitoring Accessibility Selection criteria for roads sections and urban transport services; attention to intermediate means of transport Affordability - Tariff policy, cost recovery schemes, flexible tickets

Acceptability Physical designs (universal access in vehicle designs, women-only spaces, separate waiting spaces, side walks, street lights); service schedules

Ways to address gender in transport projects?

Livelihoods & Employment Labor based technologies & targets for women Training of community & community mobilization (e.g. road construction groups, savings) Income generation & market points to enhance women's capacity to capture opportunities for marketing Women as drivers, ticketing agents, etc.

Capacity Gender equal training opportunities for project staff Training for women on skills & participation in decision-making
Mitigation of risks HIV/AIDS, Trafficking, Labor Standards, Resettlement, Road Safety

Thank you for listening