Mobility & Logistics Photo Source: ShuƩerstock Policy Brief: Making public transport and urban spaces safer and inclusive for women A policy brief based on the ‘Toolkit for Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces’ India Gender Toolkit - A brief note The document was prepared by a team led by Gerald Ollivier including Mitali Nikore as lead writer, Sarah Natasha as overall coordinator, building on major contributions from the following authors: Vandana Vasudevan, Sonal Shah (The Urban Catalysts, New Delhi), Akshat Singhal and Ayushi Banerjee (The Gender Lab, Mumbai), Anju Kapoor, Philarisa Sarma Nongpiur and Divya Reddy. This document is an adaptation from the toolkit - Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces © 2022 The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org 2 Contents 04 Introduction Why view through a 05 gender lens? Barriers across public 06 transport 07 Key elements 08 Pillar I 09 Pillar II 10 Pillar III Photo Source: istockphoto 11 Pillar IV 3 12 Concluding remarks Gender Toolkit - A brief note INTRODUCTION Cities are engines of growth, job-creation, Indian cities need gender-responsive and innovation. As workers and firms urban mobility and public spaces so that interact closely, cities generate increases in benefits of city-led economic growth labor productivity through agglomeration can be more equitably distributed. India economies. Evidence shows a clear, positive has amongst the lowest female labor correlation between urbanization and real force participation rates (FLFPR) globally, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita at 22.8% in 2019-201. Barriers in accessing for the world as a whole and in developing public transport, lack of safety during Asia and in India in particular. travel, and social norms restricting mobility, severely limit women’s work, education, Globally, lack of consideration for diverse and life choices population needs in urban planning and design has constrained women’s access This toolkit is intended to bridge the to socio-economic opportunities. Women knowledge gaps between policy making are under-represented in urban planning and program implementation for gender- and design institutions, often excluded responsive urban mobility and public from decision-making, and often denied a space in India. It is a guide towards seat at the table to voice their concerns. introducing gender equality and women’s empowerment principles into designing urban mobility systems and public spaces, so that they mitigate rather than reinforce gender inequalities Central themes of the toolkit Inclusion Safety Understanding mobility patterns Reducing the threat perception Enhancing representation in decision Enabling effective grievance redressal making mechanisms Improving infrastrucure and service Empowering bystanders designs 1 India, MOSPI (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation). 2020. Periodic Labour Force Survey 2019-20. Annual Report, New Delhi. https://www.mospi.gov.in/documents/213904/301563/Annual_Report_PLFS_2019_20m1627036454797. pdf/18afb74a-3980-ab83-0431-1e84321f75af 4 WHY VIEW THROUGH A GENDER LENS? Women are active users of public Urban mobility systems are often not transport across Indian cities. 84% of their designed to account for gender-based trips are bypublic, intermediate public, and differences in mobility patterns. Despite non-motorized modes of transport. A meta- women forming a significant user-group, analysis of literature and surveys globally little gender disaggregated analysis of and in India shows some clear patterns mobility patterns at city level in India is of public transport usage for women and available. When such analysis is available, men. it is seldom used to design tailored urban mobility solutions that suits differential needs of women and other genders Differences in mobility patterns between men and women Travel shorter distances and are limited to a more Travel longer distances restricted geographical area Engage in more non-work-related travel Travel mostly for paid such as house-hold and work activities care related work Travel with dependents Travel solo Cover shorter distances Cover longer distances to to go to the work place get to the work place Take more point to point Undertake chained trips transport from home to workplace Travel during off-peak Travel during peak hours hours Women Men tend to tend to Pay additional travel costs for trip-chaining, safety and other reasons Spend less on transport known as ‘Pink Tax’ Use public transportation Have access and use and NMT as the main personal modes of modes of transport transport Undertake more frequent Use fewer modes to get to changes in mode their destination Value flexibility, Consider saving time convenience and safety highly and see safety as a very highly lesser issue 5 Gender Toolkit - A brief note BARRIERS ACROSS A PUBLIC TRANSPORT JOURNEY Despite being major users of public Women face barriers to using public transport, women’s concerns around transport owing to gender-blind design safety, affordability, accessibility, elements, during access and egress, connectivity and over-crowding are often waiting at stops and transfers, boarding neglected by policy-makers and technical and alighting, and inside the vehicle. staff who design urban mobility systems, in favor of as system that benefits a “neutral” male user. Four stages of public transport journey and their challenges for women FIRST AND LAST MILE WAITING AT STOPS BOARDING AND INSIDE THE CONNECTIVITY AND STATIONS ALIGHTING VEHICLE x Deserted and lonely x Bus-stops located in x High floor of buses x Crowded buses streets footpaths and isolated x Obstruction of x Harassment inside areas x Broken, obstructed bus-stops by the vehicle and unshaded x Inaccessible and on-street 2-wheeler x Absence of signage footpaths obstructed bus-stops parking on help-lines and with inadequate x High compound walls x Crowded boarding seat reservations for lighting which increases women x Absence of consistent x Limited visibility at and probability of sexual lighting around bus-stops due harassment x Absence of safe to opaque back panels x Large vertical gaps cycling infrastructure x Absence of human between the x Ad-hoc fare charges activity at and around platform and by auto drivers bus-stops and stations coaches of sub-urban and x Limited access to x Absence of real-time metro rail real-time information information, route of vehicles to pre-plan maps and help-line a journey number x Absence of clean toilets for women and transgenders near bus-stops and stations x Inadequate signage 6 KEY ELEMENTS OF A GENDER-RESPONSIVE URBAN MOBILITY PROGRAM Pillar I - Assess the ground situation to Pillar III - Build the capacity of duty- understand gender-disaggregated mobility bearers responsible for implementing patterns, safety concerns and expectations policies, plans, programs, and projects and of women commuters, policies, mindsets of raise awareness for duty-bearres and right duty bearers and right holders and level of holders alike at the community level. gender inclusivity in the built infrastructure and transport services. Pillar IV - Improve the design of infrastructure and introduce gender- Pillar II - Strengthen policies, supporting responsive services to improve the legislations, regulations, guidelines, plan inclusion and safety of public transport and documents and other manuals, by suitably public spaces. incorporating a gender-lens. I II III IV ASSESS THE GROUND STRENGTHEN BUILD CAPACITY IMPROVE SITUATION PLANNING AND AND RAISE INFRASTRUCTURE & POLICIES AWARENESS SERVICES  Understand gender differences in  Integrate a gender-  Mandate training  Enhance women’s mobility patterns lens in new and and capacity safety on public  Understand safety existing policies and building of duty transport and concerns and threat plans bearers spaces perception of public  Introduce gender  Forge partnerships  Apply a gender lens transport and public inclusivity in for raising on infrastructure spaces decision making awareness design and public  Identify gaps in and key institutions and enabling transport services current policies, community action regulations, and legal through campaigns frameworks  Identify gaps in institutional capacity and assess prevailing mindsets to deliver gender-responsive programs 7 Gender Toolkit - A brief note Pillar I - Assess the ground situation The design of inclusive public transport services and public spaces, begins with an on- ground baseline gender gap assessment. The ground assessment aim to understand the barriers to women’s use of public transport services and public spaces, as well as the underlying causes, thus providing data to help bridge the gaps be at the planning, policy, mindset level or the project implementation level. Undertake regular Benchmark technical collection and analysis of capacity, gender gender-disaggregated representation, and mobility data to understand understand prevailing differentiated patterns mindsets across to improve the transport stakeholders and services. implementing agencies. Complement data collection Undertake regular safety surveys by qualitative focus audits ofpublic transport group discussions with and public spaces. women to understand the drivers behind preferences and their expectations. Assess the robustness of the grievance redressal Review existing transport mechanisms by regularly sector policies, regulations, surveying users to reduce plan documents, legal the under-reporting of sexual frameworks, and guidelines harassment. to identify gaps for gender inclusion and responsiveness. Photo Source: istockphoto 8 Pillar II - Strengthen Policies Existing policies, plans, laws, and institutions can be made more inclusive by incorporating a gender-lens and ensuring diverse representation at key institutions. Following the review undertaken during the previous stage of assessment, a way forward can be charted to address the identified gap. The two key elements include integrating a gender-lens in new and existing policies and promoting gender inclusivity at key institutions, particularly inleadership and decision making. Mainstream gender- Devise preferential disaggregated concerns procurement policies to and incorporate gender prioritize purchases from action plans within the gender-responsive suppliers comprehensive mobility plans (CMP) developed at the Diversify representation in city-level urban local bodies, public transport authorities, Devise fare policies to especially at senior lower cost of travel for leadership and decision- women to boost their making level. ridership Establish a dedicated team Devise special policies / to implement and monitor schemes to include women the gender action plan in the mobility field Strengthen grievance redressal to fast-track sexual harassment complaints 9 Gender Toolkit - A brief note Pillar III - Build Capacity & Raise Awareness Whether women are able to exercise their “rights to a city” depends on the delivery of public services by duty bearers and attitude change in the community, making gender sensitization, capacity building and awareness creation critical. The ’right to the city’ framework advocates building safe cities such that women have equal rights to enjoy the city and claim space in anyway they wish to, without experiencing violence or the threat of violence.  Arrange for capacity building and  Raise awareness at individual and gender-sensitization of management at community level for shifting mindsets ULBs, PTAs and implementing agencies through social and behavioral change to ensure gender responsive planning, campaigns design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public transport services.  Partner with community-based organizations for accelerating the  Arrange for gender sensitization awareness spread through advocacy training for drivers, conductors, police efforts and other people facing staff in public spaces and transport services  Arrange for large scale by-stander intervention trainings Technical training Trainings for shifting mindsets CAPACITY RAISE BUILDING AWARENESS Advocacy campaigns Gender sensitization training Social and behavioral c hange 10 Pillar IV - Improve Infrastructure & Services Barriers to use of public transport and public spaces can be reduced by placing a gender- lens on the infrastructure design of streets, stations and public transport vehicles, and introducing gender-responsive services can diminish these barriers  Install adequate lighting in streets,  Plan urban mobility systems to simplify public spaces, at stations and in public modal changes and ensure service on transport vehicles routes frequented by women  Increase the proportion of women  Introduce gender-sensitive guidelines frontline staff – bus drivers, conductors, and infrastructure design to ease security officials boarding, alighting and transfers  Establish emergency services,  Introduce gender-informed design of including emergency buttons, helplines, public transport vehicles mobile based service for emergency complaints, marshals and rapid  Provide gender-responsive response teams infrastructure at stations, terminals, and depots  Steamline intermediate public transport (IPT) services to increase safety 11 Gender Toolkit - A brief note CONCLUDING REMARKS For women, girls, sexual and gender ground situation; (ii) strengthen planning minorities, and people with disabilities and policies; (iii) Build capacity and raise (PWDs) to experience safe and inclusive, awareness; and (iv) improve infrastructure gender-informed public spaces and and services. While interventions suggested transport services that address their under each of the four pillars can be unique requirements, concerted and introduced even as stand-alone initiatives, long-term commitment is required across a coordinated program at state or city stakeholders, including policymakers, duty level can unlock synergies and amplify the bearers and citizens. impact of each intervention. Gender-responsive interventions for urban mobility and public spaces can be designed around four key pillars: (i) assess the VOLUME I VOLUME II ‘WHAT-TO-DO’ ‘HOW-TO-GUIDE’ NOTE FOR POLICY FOR MAKERS IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES To understand more about what needs to be done to tread towards gender-inclusive urban mobility click here for Volume I of the toolkit - Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces To understand how to plan, design and implement a participatory, inclusive urban mobility program refer to the Volume II of the toolkit 12