Women in Transport Network Launches to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women in the Transport Sector

Women in Transport Network Launches to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women in the Transport Sector

(IN BRIEF) The Women in Transport (WiT) Network has been launched to support women in the transport industry, aiming to promote gender equality and enhance economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The initiative stems from a report by the World Bank Group, ADB, GIZ, EIB, and ITF, which highlights the underrepresentation of women in the sector and the barriers they face, such as outdated workplace policies and gender gaps in technical and leadership roles. The WiT Network will provide a platform for networking, training, mentorship, and recruitment, helping to empower women in transport and promote more inclusive systems. Key leaders, including from the World Bank and ITF, have emphasized the value of increasing female participation for improved business outcomes and innovation in the sector.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 31-Jan-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A new initiative, the Women in Transport (WiT) Network, has been launched to empower and uplift women in the transport sector, aiming to foster gender equality and drive progress in the industry. This effort aligns with findings from a recent report, which highlights the numerous economic, environmental, financial, and social benefits that come with increasing female participation in the transport workforce. The report, titled Addressing Barriers to Women’s Participation in Transport, was created in collaboration with several major organizations, including the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the International Transport Forum (ITF).

The report reveals that women represent just 12% of the global workforce in the transport and storage sectors, a statistic that limits diversity in decision-making, service design, and innovation. The underrepresentation of women negatively impacts economic growth, business performance, and service quality. It also emphasizes that increasing the number of women in leadership roles within the sector will lead to better business outcomes, more innovative services, and a higher overall GDP, all while helping to address labor shortages.

Among its key findings, the report identifies several significant barriers to women’s participation in the transport sector, such as outdated workplace policies and the large gender gap in operational, technical, and leadership roles. To overcome these challenges, the report provides actionable recommendations for various stakeholders, including policymakers, employers in both public and private sectors, educational institutions, and civil society organizations. These recommendations focus on areas like attraction and recruitment, human resources policies, retention, career advancement, leadership opportunities, and data collection.

The findings from the report have directly contributed to the creation of the Women in Transport Network (WiT), a platform that brings together industry stakeholders, government officials, and leaders from public and private sectors to advance gender equality within transport. The network will offer a wide array of opportunities, including networking, recruitment, training, and mentorship for women aiming to progress in the sector.

Key leaders in the project have expressed strong support for the initiative. Nicolas Peltier, Global Director for Transport at the World Bank Group, noted, “The Women in Transport Network provides a vital platform to empower women and connect institutions around the goal of gender equality in transport.” Samantha Hung, Director of Gender Equality at the Asian Development Bank, emphasized the importance of investing in women’s participation to build more inclusive and accessible transport systems. Laura Piovesan, EIB Director General of the Projects Directorate, stressed that inclusive transport services contribute to thriving economies. Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, Managing Director of GIZ, added, “The launch of the WiT Network is an essential step toward advancing gender equity in the transport sector and promoting sustainable mobility for all.” Young Tae Kim, ITF Secretary General, highlighted that women’s leadership is key to building more resilient, inclusive, and efficient transport systems.

Background information

About EIB Global

EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Global Gateway. We aim to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 — around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world.

To enhance the positive impact of its activities on gender equality and empower women and girls, the EIB Group adopted a Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment and a Gender Action Plan, with the aim of embedding gender equality and in particular women’s economic empowerment in the EIB’s business model. It covers its lending, blending and advisory work within and outside the European Union.

Media Contact:

Anne-Laure Gaffuri
a.gaffuri@eib.org
+352 4379 – 83689

Press Office

press@eib.org
+352 43791

SOURCE: European Investment Bank