Influence of social context and gender gap awareness on women’s mobility on public transportation

Abstract

A gender gap in mobility, although with different levels, exists everywhere. Several factors are linked to this gap, such as females’ daily schedules and duties, economic aspects, or preferences. Women’s personal risk perception and its counterpart, i.e., actual (in)security in the transportation system, are related aspects as well. This research focuses on these last factors and adds a novel perspective: the influence of the social context and its awareness of the gender gap. To this end, a twofold methodological approach was applied to the cities of Barcelona and Budapest. It included the comprehensive evaluation of local policies aimed at closing gender gap in mobility as well as the distribution and analysis of an ad hoc developed survey. The main research findings indicate that harassment on public transportation is associated with general societal gender dynamics and behaviors. Actions taken by local administrations in the pursuit of gender equality in mobility become effective in the medium term, leading to a decrease in severe aggressions. Among these actions, awareness-raising plays a key role. First, women gain self-confidence and increase their own commitment to the cause; second, a snowball effect takes place, causing the rejection of harassment and the fight against it to spread across different social spheres.