Women underrepresented in transport planning – Research

Transport planning in most countries is said to be gender-blind such that women and girls are not given adequate representation in policies and designs meant to move people and goods to destinations, a researcher with the Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, UK, Professor Gina Porter, has said. She said public transport system needed to […]

Transport planning in most countries is said to be gender-blind such that women and girls are not given adequate representation in policies and designs meant to move people and goods to destinations, a researcher with the Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, UK, Professor Gina Porter, has said.

She said public transport system needed to be safe, accessible and responsive to the needs of women.

Prof. Porter made the remarks at the 1st Country Consultative Group Meeting of research on “Youth Engagement and Skills Acquisition Within Africa’s Transport Sector: Promoting a Gender Agenda Towards Transitions into Meaningful Work” in Abuja. The research is jointly carried out by the University of Durham, Sokoto Energy Centre of Usumanu Danfodio University and Centre for Women and Gender Studies of the University of Jos.

The research, she said would address the specific impediments presented by a highly gendered transport and travel arena and the implications this had for girls’ and women’s current and future access to meaningful work.

The researchers thus aim to understand and address the challenges through in-depth participatory research with young women of low socio-economic status in peripheral locations of Abuja such as Durumi Village and Kuje Town, including piloting of skills-based interventions. Others are Cape Town, South Africa and Tunis, Tunisia.

In the user strand, the research will determine key skills young women need if they are to travel safely to work and training opportunities; whether as pedestrians, as cyclists, or when negotiating public transport, among others, while in the employment strand, it will hit upon how young women’s aspirations to work in transport sector will be expanded and enhanced. Also, the action research strand will assist women build skills as transport users and towards employment in the transport sector, among others.