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General Overview

Type of stakeholder

EICS Framework

Region of Reference

Africa
Asia
Australia
Europe
North-America
South-America
World

Description

As described by Heise et al. (1999 ) [4], women who experience gender-based violence (GBV) have complex needs and may need services from many different sectors, including health care, social services, legal entities, and law enforcement, and therefore, multi-sectoral collaboration is essential for ensuring survivors’ access to comprehensive services. [4] Evidence from many sectors indicates that the best way to improve the service response to survivors is to implement institution-wide reforms rather than narrow policy reforms or training – a strategy sometimes referred to as a ‘systems approach. [2-6]

This intervention argues for the implementation of multi-sectoral teams to provide support for both (female) public transport staff and public transport users. For example, team members may include medical personnel, counsellors, psychologists, and social workers.

Facts/Illustrations/Case studies

Ensuring survivors’ access to comprehensive services limits the risk of long-term depression and anxiety, due to gender-based violence.

Types of Impact

To/from the stop/station/rank✕
Waiting for train/bus/paratransit✓
In the vehicle✓
At interchanges✓

Making sure that psychologists and councillors can be accessed by personnel and patrons will influence all areas, except the public streets, as these do not fall in the domain of the public transport operator. Best practice would be for the municipality to step in. However, examples of this are few to none.

Day-time travel✓
Night-time travel✓
Peak-time travel✓
Off peak-time travel✓

All travel time categories could be positively impacted by this intervention, depending on the scale of implementation and availability of staff.

Bus✓
Train✓
Rideshare✓
4 wheelers informal✓
3 wheelers informal✓
2 wheelers informal✓
Cycling✕
Walking✕

Modes with formal and informal transport services that have operators and/or unions (also called associations) will be impacted.

Girls✓
Boys✓
Adult Women✓
Men✓
Elderly Women✓
LGBTQI+✓

All public transport users could be positively impacted by this intervention, as any user can report an incident and receive trauma counselling. The literature shows that women experience sexual harassment more than men, so more women/girls are likely to need trauma counselling. [1-3]

Resources

Monetary Resource Requirements
There are no capital costs related to the establishment of a sexual harassment team. However, there will be ongoing operational costs. The team members need to be well trained, so labour costs will be significant to provide the required counselling. Regarding personnel, general training sessions are also recommended, requiring further operational costs. A targeted implementation will be somewhat more affordable.
Capital Cost Requirements Operational Cost Requirements
Non-Monetary Resource Requirements
This intervention requires skilled personnel to provide counseling and training events. Furthermore, counseling staff needs to stay up to date and attend ‘train-the trainer’ sessions regularly. All this will require a significant amount of time investment. Furthermore, without some ‘political’ will by all stakeholders involved, the success of this intervention is questionable, although there does not have to be a political decision before public transport operators can action this intervention, so political will is not a prerequisite.
Skills Time Political Will

SWOT Analysis

Ensures staff are trained to counsel/treat passengers and staff
Establishes information provision and procedures for victims.
Scalable to suit budget and needs
Employment opportunies for women

As soon as the team complement shrinks, the benefits reduce.
Not effective in parts of the transport system where the intervention is not physically present, such as to/from the stop/rank/station.

To encourage female passengers to come forward and seek help
To apprehend more offenders through counseling reports
To negate potential long term backlash of incidents on victims' phyches by action quickly and effectively

Female passengers might still feel ashamed and not seek help, due to the stigma around sexual harassment, even if the staff are available.

Effectiveness

There is a tremendous benefit, and therefore expected positive perception by females that seek counselling. Governing bodies will be positive too. The Empower research team is confident regarding the perception rating.

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

Implementation

Implementation of this intervention takes some time initially, as staff has to be employed and trained. The benefits ensue after the training is finished and the trained staff commences to counsel. Counselling needs to continue for the benefits to last in the future.

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 station/suburb or city level.

National

Regional

City

Station or
Suburb

Ease of Implementation

This intervention takes a moderate amount of effort to implement, as it requires skilled personnel, and it takes time.

List of References

Europe

1. Gekoski, A., Gray, J., Horvath, M.A.H., Edwards, S., Emirali, A. & Adler, J.R. 2015. What works’ in reducing sexual harassment and sexual offences on public transport nationally and internationally: a rapid evidence assessment. [2022, January 11].

North America

2. USAID. Addressing gender-based violence through USAID’s health programs: a guide for health sector program officers. Washington, DC, USAID/IGWG, 2006.

3. Kearl, H. 2018. A National Study on Sexual Harassment and Assault. Virginia, United States.

World

4. Heise L, Ellsberg M, Gottemoeller M. Ending violence against women. Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Center for Communications Programs, 1999.

5. World Health Organisation. (2012) Understanding and addressing violence against women: Sexual Violence.

6. United Nations. Ending violence against women: from words to action. In-depth study on all forms of violence against women. Report of the Secretary-General. New York, United Nations General Assembly, 2006.

SHE CAN Tool