Gender Mobility on Guatemala City's Transmetro: Women's lived experiences of public transportation

Abstract

Research interest in gender mobility is increasing, emphasizing the need to incorporate women's perspectives and experiences in the planning and design of public transportation. This project aims to understand women's experiences on Guatemala City's Transmetro, the local bus rapid transit (BRT) system, to contribute to safer, more equitable, and inclusive transportation. Using a case study approach and feminist methodologies, this study captures participants' perceptions of safety, everyday coping strategies on transit, and access issues. While Transmetro is considered safe both in actual and perceived terms, participants expressed mobility constraints based on safety perceptions, namely sexual harassment and theft, as contributing to insecurity and fear. Fear and insecurity throughout the whole journey are two of the greatest challenges for women's mobility. I argue that women's mobility should be framed as a rights issue of access to public goods and provide recommendations at different scales to address women's safety.