Gender and transport : towards a practical analysis framework for improved planning

Abstract

In recent years a convergence of more socially progressive transport policy, and an intentional focus on the gender aspects of development, has lead to an increasing awareness of the ways in which transport systems and interventions fail to adequately address the needs of travelling women. Yet addressing women's specific travel needs appears to be crucial in achieving poverty reduction and social development goals. Research on gender and transport in developing countries has to date mostly focused on rural areas, at least partly because there is a paucity of analytical tools and methods for studying gender aspects of urban travel. The paper explores ways in which existing gender analysis frameworks – and the Moser framework in particular – can be adapted by transport and urban analysts in starting to examine the gender aspects of their work. The framework's application is illustrated briefly with examples from recent research undertaken in South Africa.