An Introduction to Gender and Mobility in Emerging Economies

Learn why gender matters in transport and mobility

Throughout history, transport policies and services have almost always been designed by and for men. There is now a growing awareness among researchers and policy-makers that ignoring women’s needs can impact their ability to use transport.

On this four-week course from the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative, you’ll learn why gender matters in transport and mobility. Focusing particularly on emerging economies, you’ll explore what happens when we bring gender and mobility issues together, and how gender-sensitive planning could improve transport access for everyone.

Examine mobility patterns and needs among women

You’ll start the course by examining women’s needs, patterns, and priorities in relation to transport. Taking a firmly international focus, you’ll look at case studies from cities across the globe.

You’ll understand why women’s needs differ from those of men, and how current transport models may be failing women. You’ll also explore the connection between gender, poverty, and transport.

Explore ways of improving female representation in the transport sector

Beyond gender biases affecting individual services, women are also under-represented in the transport sector as a whole.

Week 3 of the course will look at the barriers women face in accessing senior positions in transport, and strategies for encouraging women to work in the sector.

Understand the importance of gender-sensitive planning

In the final week of the course, you’ll look to the future of a more inclusive transport sector.

You’ll learn what it means to gather gender-inclusive data and make gender-sensitive decisions in order to reduce inequality across mobility systems.

At the end of the course, you’ll join other learners to discuss how you can apply your expertise in workplaces all around the world.

This introductory course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about the importance of gender equity and inclusivity in transport and mobility systems. It will provide a strong foundation in these issues for anyone involved in transport, mobility, urban planning, policy development and/or implementation across government, non-profit and private spheres.

Learners are not required to have any prior knowledge in the fields of gender or mobility to enrol in this course.

This introductory course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about the importance of gender equity and inclusivity in transport and mobility systems. It will provide a strong foundation in these issues for anyone involved in transport, mobility, urban planning, policy development and/or implementation across government, non-profit and private spheres.

Learners are not required to have any prior knowledge in the fields of gender or mobility to enrol in this course.

• Describe how transport policies and solutions have been designed around men’s needs
• Justify why we must focus on women's needs
• Discuss the mobility patterns of women
• Reflect on how gender roles lead to specific mobility needs
• Demonstrate the safety-related mobility needs of women using supporting data
• Explore and share your own safety-related mobility needs
• Explain why we need more women in mobility and transport positions
• Investigate the current picture of women working in transport and mobility
• Identify the barriers to women wanting to enter the transport sector
• Apply your new knowledge to a local case study
• Describe the nature of gender-sensitive data
• Explain the process of collecting gender-sensitive data
• Demonstrate how empirical and gender-sensitive data can be used for planning and implementation
• Apply the skills learned in this course in a workplace scenario