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General Overview

EICS Framework

EMPOWERMENTELEVATIONFOUNDATION

Region of Reference

  • AfricaAfrica
  • AsiaAsia
  • AustraliaAustralia
  • EuropeEurope
  • North-AmericaNorth-America
  • South-AmericaSouth-America
  • WorldWorld

Description

A more diverse workforce is directly related to addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. This is based on expert opinion and experience. Employing more women in the transport sector is one step in the right direction of achieving a more equal workforce. Recognizing and treating women employed in the sector as equals is another.

A case study example of this intervention comes from Santiago, Chile, where women bus drivers are often faced with prejudices against them and the fact that several private operators refuse to hire them. To combat this, Transantiago public transport agency developed an awards program. The public can vote for the Best Male and Best Female Bus Drivers. This award was designed to recognise women bus drivers and to complement the award already given to men.

Within a year, all bus companies had a small but growing contingent of women bus drivers so that they could compete for the award, which is important for their rather low public image. This also highlighted women’s role and contributions to the quality of public transport before the general public.

The award provides an opportunity for the public to see that women may also successfully apply to become bus drivers, as well as recognise they already work in the system. The winner could also visit and give talks in a local school to help break down barriers about the sort of jobs that women are able to do.

This increased the number of qualified drivers in Santiago as there was a shortage [1].

Additional reading on the improvement of workplace diversity and its impacts on reducing sexual harassment can be found in the following literature: [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].

Types of Impact

Area Impacted

  • To/from the stop/station/rank
  • Waiting for train/bus/paratransit
  • In the vehicle
  • At interchanges
This intervention is only effective on board the vehicle.

Time of Day of Impact

  • Day-time travel
  • Night-time travel
  • Peak-time travel
  • Off peak-time travel
All travel time categories could be positively impacted by this intervention.

Mode Impacted

  • Bus
  • Train
  • Rideshare
  • 4 wheelers informal
  • 3 wheelers informal
  • 2 wheelers informal
  • Cycling
  • Walking
Modes with formal infrastructure and/or organisational structure will be impacted.

Demographic impacted

  • Girls
  • Boys
  • Adult Women
  • Men
  • Elderly Women
  • LGBTQI+
Adult women is the only demographic targeted by this intervention.

SWOT Analysis

  • Improves the gender equality of female drivers

  • Encourages other women to become involved

  • Lower reported incidents on vehicles with female drivers

  • Women may not feel they are suited to this role

  • Women are generally better paid in this sector than elsewhere with the same qualifications

  • Limited to women who have required qualifications

Effectiveness

The number of qualified drivers in Santiago increased as there was a shortage. There is, thus, evidence to support these ratings.

  • Perception by (female) passengers
  • Perception by governing bodies
  • Level of confidence in these ratings

Implementation

Implementation timeframe

  • 0-1 year
  • 1-3 years
  • >3 years

Timeframe to realise benefits

  • 0-1 year
  • 1-3 years
  • >3 years

Scale of Implementation

This intervention can be implemented at a local or city level.

National
Regional
City
Station or
Suburb

Ease of Implementation

This takes time to employ and train women drivers, thus it is not the easiest intervention to implement..

List of References