The gendered impacts of technological change for public transport workers in the Global South

Abstract

The automation and digitisation of work are heavily impacting on the public transport workforce worldwide. Many of the jobs affected are those typically done by women. Yet much discussion about the future of work in public transport is gender blind, or considers women primarily as users of public transport. This paper draws on original research commissioned by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to address this gap, based on five cities that have introduced changes to public transport with significant implications for women's employment-Bangkok, Bogota, Cape Town, Mexico City and Nairobi. It was a qualitative study involving 164 interviews in five cities, primarily with women transport workers but also union representatives, community organisations, policy makers and employers. It finds both opportunities from and risks to women's employment, including the chance to move from informal work to new formal employment, as well as job loss from integrated fare payment systems. It considers the possibility of breaking down traditional patterns of occupational gender segregation in public transport when new systems or technologies are introduced. However in order for women to move into traditionally male jobs such as driving in greater numbers, several barriers must be addressed, such as gender stereotyping, violence at work and working hours and shift patterns. The paper offers some suggestions for how unions, employers transport authorities and funders can address such barriers.

Female taxi drivers in Mexico City: Facing patriarchal structures as a force of oppression

“…In recent decades, social science and organizational studies have examined women's participation in blue‐collar jobs (Aneke et al., 2017; Kissman, 1990; Levine, 2009; Morales & Saucedo, 2015; Paap, 2006; Padavic & Reskin, 1990; Wright, 2016, 2019; Yount, 1991). These studies have noted that the increased presence of women in nontraditional industries has been driven by economics and affirmative action policies, but that women continue to encounter challenges related to the intersection of race, class, and sexuality in male‐dominated work (Acker, 2006; Morales & Saucedo, 2015; Paap, 2006; Wright, 2016).…”

“…Studies on the hiring of women and their workplace interactions in male‐dominated industries in the Global North and Global South have documented similar patriarchal oppression of female workers and their exclusion from certain job assignments based on preconceived gender roles (Kanter, 1977; Morales & Saucedo, 2015; Paap, 2006; Padavic & Reskin, 1990; Wright, 2019; Yount, 1991). Scholars such as Morales and Saucedo (2015) have noted that female workers sometimes employ what is called a “patriarchal bargain” as a behavioral strategy to deal with male‐dominated industries that involve an expectation of certain male and female behaviors (Kanter, 1977; Maina & Caine, 2013; Yount, 1991).…”

“…While women-led taxi services have been valued from a user perspective, little attention has been paid to the drivers' demographics, labor force participation patterns, and working conditions (Berrones-Sanz & Araiza-Diaz, 2019;Wright, 2018Wright, , 2019. One study reports that while Viajemos Seguras targeted passenger safety, transportation operators also suffered gender-based violence (UN Women, 2017).…”