Mobility for Africa takes part in the Second Women in Transport in Africa Conference
Women are an important part of the transport market in Africa. They rely on mass transport to get to work, carry goods, access services and transport their children. Yet while transport can make up more than 20% of their expenses, they suffer from often overcrowded, unreliable, and poorly regulated transport services. In addition, they often have to bear the brunt of sexism and discrimination, making them feel unsafe. Generally, women have had few opportunities to either drive or own transport which has deprived them of influencing how they are treated as customers or how the industry develops.
To tackle these issues, a mix of start-ups, academia, government officials and researchers from 20 countries met in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in early December to share research on how women are impacted in both using transport and being employed in the sector. The Second Women in Transport in Africa Conference, hosted by World Resources Institute and the Flone Initiative was opened by the Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges. It sought to bring stakeholders together to identify ways to create safe, sustainable and accessible transport in Africa.
Dr. Dorah Mwenye training high school students on data collection
The themes of the conference included exploring how women suffer discrimination and high rates of gender based violence in the transport sector; understanding the challenges women face in accessing mass transport, especially in urban areas; how Africa can invest in better more sustainable and affordable public transport; and better understanding the opportunities and experiences of women working in the transport sector.
MFA was excited to be invited to join the conversation. Our research consultant Dr. Dorah Mwenye shared insights from our pilot in Wedza. The focus of the 3 day meeting was to bridge the gap between research and policy around urban planning, public safety, gender based violence issues and real world challenges facing women in the transport sector. While many initiatives are focused on urban transport, MFA had the opportunity to share the perspective of rural women and how the lack of reliable transport impacts on their daily life.