New publication finds key barriers for women in the transport sector

The report, titled Addressing Barriers to Women’s Participation in Transport, was prepared jointly by the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the International Transport Forum (ITF). It covers global trends and provides in-depth analysis of the women’s role in the transport sector in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Barriers to women’s participation in the transport sector exist throughout the employment lifecycle, including attraction, recruitment, retention, workplace policies, and leadership progression. Regulatory restrictions can also hinder women’s employment.

The lack of sector-specific research to improve development and evaluate existing interventions poses additional challenges.

This report identifies key challenges to women’s employment in transport, grouped into five broad categories:

Attraction and recruitment

• More women need to be attracted to technical studies, including STEM disciplines, to expand the female talent pool. Women comprise only 35% of STEM graduates worldwide, a figure that has remained static for the past decade. Additionally, fewer women pursue technical vocational education and training (TVET) relevant to transport.

• Women face unique challenges as entrepreneurs in the transport sector, including access to financing and male-dominated markets. Supporting women-led businesses can create more job opportunities and address mobility challenges for female riders.

• Gender stereotypes discourage young women from pursuing transport-focused education and careers. Misconceptions about physical strength requirements contribute to this issue, despite evolving technologies reducing such demands.

• Many women in technical studies are unaware of diverse career paths in transport. Poor connections between educational institutions and employers, along with insufficient outreach, exacerbate this lack of awareness.

• Gender norms and biases in hiring processes hinder women’s recruitment, particularly for technical roles.

HR Policies and practices

• Women’s personal security is a major concern in transport jobs, which often require working in isolated or high-risk environments and traveling at night. Concerns about workplace and commuting harassment deter women from customer-facing roles.

• The lack of basic infrastructure, such as adequate sanitation facilities in public transportation, maritime, rail, and logistics, poses a challenge for female workers.

• Balancing work and family responsibilities is difficult due to long hours, overnight shifts, and extended travel. Many transport companies lack family-friendly policies such as flexible schedules, telecommuting, on-site childcare, or generous parental leave.

• Despite efforts toward pay equity, the gender wage gap persists in transport, as women are underrepresented in skilled technical and leadership roles. Pay disparities exist even within the same roles, often due to women taking fewer overtime hours for caregiving responsibilities.

Retention, career advancement, and leadership

• Gender stereotypes that position men as better suited for leadership hinder women’s career progression.

• Social norms often assign women disproportionate household and caregiving duties, limiting professional growth. Women may avoid promotions due to concerns over increased responsibilities affecting family life, while managers may reinforce barriers by assigning less demanding roles.

• A lack of leadership training and networking opportunities tailored to women further restricts career advancement. Women are often excluded from key networking events, mentorship, and leadership development programs.

• Limited technical experience hampers advancement into higher-paid roles. Targeted training programs for women are lacking, resulting in a skills gap that prevents them from competing for senior positions.

Legal and policy framework

• Regulatory frameworks restricting women’s employment in transport remain a barrier in 12 countries, while legislation in 20 countries limits women from working night shifts.

• The absence of robust equal pay legislation exacerbates gender inequality. In 92 countries, legal frameworks do not provide for equal pay for equal work.

• Inadequate workplace security legislation, such as a lack of laws prohibiting sexual harassment, contributes to a hostile working environment. While 151 economies have such laws, many still lack these protections.

Data collection and research

• Quality gender statistics in the transport sector are scarce, preventing stakeholders from effectively addressing gender gaps. Even when sex-disaggregated data is collected, it is often not analyzed or disseminated.

• There is limited evidence on effective interventions for promoting women in transport. Many efforts remain unevaluated, preventing the identification of globally replicable best practices

Launch of the Women in Transport (WiT) Network

Additionally, the analysis and recommendations in this report have informed the creation of the Women in Transport (WiT) Network, which was also launched today with participation from key stakeholders, including government officials, private and public sector industry leaders, and representatives from international organizations.

The launch of the Women in Transport Network is a significant step towards creating a more inclusive transport sector. By providing a platform for institutions to connect around gender equality, we can empower women, facilitate access to better job opportunities, and enhance the overall efficiency and inclusivity of the transport sector

… said Nicolas Peltier, World Bank Global Director for Transport. 

The WiT Network brings together transport stakeholders dedicated to empowering women across all facets and levels of the transport sector It will serve as a forum for networking, recruitment, information exchange, training, and mentorship opportunities for women.

I’m encouraged and hopeful that the Women in Transport Network will be a powerful driver of innovation, better decision-making, and sustainable growth in our sector. Our contribution builds on ITF’s ongoing work on Gender in Transport as together with our partners we help to mainstream gender as an essential driver of better transport policy

… commented Young Tae Kim, ITF Secretary General.