Innovation in the transport sector is a driving force for change and can contribute to creating more equal transport systems by increasing women’s mobility and creating opportunities for employment in transport. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected women and girls. Underlying equality issues have been intensified during this crisis. Innovation cannot rid the transport sector from inequality by itself; policy makers have an important role in addressing inequality.
The ITF report seeks to highlight these problems. From the Scandinavian hub, Malin Henriksson and Michala Hvidt Breengaard have contributed with an article on shared mobility.
Women travel differently than men. Women take shorter trips, accompany children to school and leisure activities, and do grocery shopping. This complexity in travel patterns is not reflected in the transport system which is primarily designed to enable economic activity and to transport users from home to work. Bike-sharing is viewed as a sustainable means of transport and is often thought to benefit all. Still, research shows that bike-sharing systems are mainly used by men. Differences in travel patterns and needs have not been considered in development of bike-sharing systems. Bike stations are usually located close to workplaces where men work. Workplaces with higher proportion of women are often not connected to the system. Traffic planning needs to be inclusive and developed for a heterogenous group with different needs. Research in gender is necessary to provide knowledge in this area.
Read the full report here: Transport Innovation for Sustainable Development: A Gender Perspective | ITF (itf-oecd.org)
