Pakistan Bulletin
An up-to-date and informed analysis of key issues of Pakistan.
The Roads Less Travelled: How Transportation Fails Pakistan’s Women
November 2024
Pakistan’s public transportation system fails to meet the needs of women, restricting their mobility, safety, and economic opportunities in a society already rife with gender inequities.
Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement”. In Pakistan, where only 20 in 1,000 people own a motor vehicle, the role of public transport in providing ease of mobility becomes very important. However, for many women, public transport remains inaccessible, unsafe, and undesirable due to systemic and societal barriers. Addressing these issues is critical for promoting gender equity and improving opportunities for women across the country.
Women are more dependent on public transport than men due to the socio-economic structure of the country. Despite this, there are structural issues discouraging women from using public transport. The biggest example of this is the fact that there is state-mandated gender segregation of public buses, but only one-third or sometimes a quarter of the seats are reserved for women, making public transport overcrowded and inconvenient for half the population. Moreover, bus stops, waiting areas and other public transport facilities often lack adequate lighting, security, and cleanliness, making them unsafe and uninviting for female passengers. While ride-hailing services such as Careem and In Drive offer safer alternatives, their high costs remain prohibitive for lower-income groups. A cheaper alternative to these services is rickshaws and “qingqis, which are common modes of transport in both urban and rural areas. However, they are often operated by underage and unlicensed drivers, making them very unsafe. While these unsafe operations go practically unnoticed in rural areas, in urban areas there seems to be a tradeoff between accessibility and safety. Islamabad does not allow for the operation of these vehicles in its territory but in doing so deprives its population of cheaper mobility alternatives.
Restricted mobility is a significant barrier to women’s economic participation. Limited access to safe and affordable transport hinders job searches and reduces women’s ability to engage in the workforce.
On top of the structural issues, safety concerns are also a major hindrance to female mobility in Pakistan. A 2014 report by the Asian Development Bank revealed that 70% of women experience harassment on public transport, with incidents ranging from inappropriate touching and stalking to verbal abuse. Such harassment has far-reaching consequences: 31% of female students, 23% of working women, and 20% of homemakers reported reducing their use of public transport as a result. Additionally, safety fears force 40% of women to restrict their travel after sunset, limiting access to education, employment, and other opportunities. Compounding these issues, inadequate lighting, poor security at bus stops, and overcrowding further increase the risk of harassment, making public transport an unsafe and unwelcoming option.
These issues amalgamate in creating socio-cultural barriers to mobility. A survey by the Center for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) revealed that 70% of male respondents in Lahore discouraged their female family members from using public transport due to safety concerns. However, many indicated they would reconsider if female-only travel options were available, highlighting the need for gender-sensitive solutions.
In rural areas, female mobility is even more limited. Public transport is often limited to shared vans or locally operated buses, which are unreliable, overcrowded, and unsafe. Poorly maintained roads and long distances between villages and economic centres further exacerbate the issue, leaving women with limited access to healthcare, education, and employment. Research shows that girls’ net primary school enrollment rate is 50 per cent higher in communities with all-weather motorable access. These communities also have a higher incidence of pre-natal medical consultation for women, a higher proportion of childbirths attended by skilled personnel, a higher incidence of post-natal consultation, and a lower probability of births at home. Ease of mobility across regions allows for economic participation and personal development that could lead to breaking the cycles of poverty and gender inequality.
Major improvements have been made in the transportation sector in the past couple of years, especially for urban mobility. Recent initiatives demonstrate a growing recognition of women’s transportation needs. Some cities have introduced the Pink Bus, which caters exclusively to women. Similarly, Gilgit-Baltistan launched a women-only public transport scheme in 2022, serving ten districts. However, these women-only services are limited in operations and serve only a small section of the population. Another issue that still needs to be addressed is the “last mile” problem, which occurs when women are unable to travel from their homes to the bus stops due to unsafe routes.
Restricted mobility is a significant barrier to women’s economic participation. Limited access to safe and affordable transport hinders job searches and reduces women’s ability to engage in the workforce. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) deployment in most major cities in Pakistan has played a key role in allowing women to continue their education and work. Recent research has shown the metro bus services in Lahore have boosted female labour force participation. For a country where only 25% of women are in the labour force, a proportion that is lower than other countries with similar income levels, providing easy, affordable, and safe transportation could play a huge role in encouraging more women to seek employment, which will pave roads for financial independence.
Integrating women’s perspectives into planning and decision-making processes by employing more female workers in the transport sector is a vital step.
It is, therefore, imperative that the issues facing the mobility of women are addressed. This requires targeted, gender-sensitive policies. Integrating women’s perspectives into planning and decision-making processes by employing more female workers in the transport sector is a vital step. Expanding women-only transport options and enhancing safety measures at bus stops and stations can also significantly improve mobility. Feeder routes to cover smaller routes that connect to major BRT routes will attempt to tackle the last-mile problem. For bridging the rural-urban divide, investing in affordable, reliable transport systems for rural regions, and improving motorways and roads leading to far-off areas will be a major step. Moreover, community-driven initiatives, such as rural transport cooperatives with women drivers, can create employment opportunities while addressing safety and reliability concerns.
Pakistan currently ranks 145th out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2024. While this ranking reflects several societal inequities plaguing the country, ease of mobility would allow more women to join the workforce, gain financial independence, bridge the rural-urban divide by seeking out opportunities in previously inaccessible areas and have access to better quality health and education. Therefore, improved public transportation systems across the country would play a key role in improving gender parity.
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