The representation of women in the transport sector is rather low compared with the labor market as a whole. In 2005, only 20.5% of the EU27 transport workforce were women, compared with 43.5% of the total employment. The representation of women in the railway sector is less than 18%. Also he division of labor is clearly gendered. Men are foremost represented in technical and operational functions whereas women work in service areas.

Barriers for women in the transport sector can be summarized in the following main causes:

• The reluctance of employers to hire women.
• Poorer working conditions, e.g. in terms of wages, access to training, family unfriendly working hours, male-centered ergonomic working conditions and the risk of violence and harassment.
• Cultural stereotypes that associate women and men with specific roles and tasks in the transport sector.
• A male dominated sector that implies little experience and awareness with women’s issues and rights, i.e. maternity leave, hours of work, part time jobs, shift patterns etc.
• Poor health and safety surroundings, such as insufficient radio contact or lightning, lacking sanitary rooms for women etc.

The solution of these problems will benefit not only women but will provide everyone working in the transport sector with better rights and conditions.

 

Recommendations

• Encourage young women to choose technical occupations. Girls can gain familiarity with technical occupations through cooperation with schools and open-house days.
• Education and training methods and assessments should cater for a diversity of learning styles making them accessible for both men and women.
• Investments in gender equality are a driving force for innovation. Launch initiatives to gender mainstream goals, actions, budgets etc.
• Transport unions are recommended to recruit  a gender equality coordinator to raise awareness and ensuring implementation of female workers’ rights, e.g. sexual harassment, parental leave etc.
• The staff in unions and other actors working central in the railway sector should be educated, e.g. through meetings and seminars.
• Trade unions need to arrange gender audits or gender impact analyses to evaluate women’s and men’s representation in the union, how resources are allocated, who gets access to which information, how large is the gender pay gap, which benefits are allocated for women and for men etc.
• Companies should look critically at themselves and their routines. For example, often meetings are scheduled in late afternoons, which is difficult to combine with family duties.
• Technology and innovation must include a gender and equality perspective. The rail sector need to utilize women’s and men’s different resources, knowledge and competences in technological development, design and implementation.
• Companies and organizations can benefit from communicating good examples. Establish a communication strategy that include perspectives on gender related initiatives and actions.
• Involve the local knowledge, needs and preferences of both women and men in planning and decision-making processes.
• Involve more women in decision-making. Set up goals for gender balanced committees and boards.

Although the fact that women represent today the majority of European population (105 women per 100 men in EU 27 in 2005, according to Eurostat data), while 18 men out of 1000 are graduated in science and technology, only 8 women out of 1000 graduate in such fields. Moreover, the share of women researchers was estimated to be less than 26% in 2004, and when research in railway transport field is considered, the figures are even worse: a survey among researchers involved in the EURNEX NoE (carried out in 2005-2006) resulted in a women share of about 15% within the network (which suggest the share outside the academic world is also lower).

The reasons for such limited participation of women in this specific scientific field are complex and different, ranging from a lack of real equality in the accessibility to the relevant professional or academic paths, to a limited appeal towards women of some scientific subjects traditionally associated with the sector (like mechanics, electric machines, power systems, etc).

The objectives of SKILLRAIL in this context are: