Exploring transport mobility issues and adaptive behavior of women in a developing country
Women encounter a plethora of mobility challenges in developing countries due to infrastructure challenges and conservative societal norms. This study examines the transport challenges for women across all income groups in a developing country. The data was collected from Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was collected in two stages, using three focus groups and a Revealed Preference travel survey with 2000 women. The focus group discussion revealed that women face challenges in mobility based on their income groups. Social norms and taboos impact all income groups. Among all the income groups, low-income female travelers are the most vulnerable. They expressed that they seem to be a burden to the society and are almost invisible. The findings of this study can contribute to the understanding of women’s transport mobility issues in a developing country across all income groups. This study directly contributes to Bangladesh’s ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198223002385
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Gender equality through sustainable transport policy
Bangladesh needs to improve women’s health, security, convenience, and financial independence, particularly regarding urban mobility. An inefficient and unaffordable urban transport system limits women’s access to better job opportunities, hindering their personal growth. This study aims to achieve sustainable development in women’s mobility. It attempts to identify the most preferred policy option among different hypothetical scenarios. The importance of different variables using a mixed-method approach is also analyzed. Discussion workshops and a hypothetical travel survey were conducted with low, middle, and high-income working and non-working women. The most preferred policy options were ‘walk with the organized vendor,’ ‘living further away with better living standard,’ ‘subsidized public transport,’ ‘app-based private shuttle,’ and then Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Identifying these can help policymakers and transport planners to achieve sustainable transport options. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967070X24000362
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