This article is written by Sia Nowrojee, program director for the 3D Program for Girls and Women, a program focused on gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment, hosted by the United Nations Foundation

In her book Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, the author Caroline Criado-Perez confirms what most women already know — the world is not built for us.

Uniforms and equipment, including critical protective gear, are designed with men’s bodies in mind. Educational materials on everything from the stories we read in preschool to biological modelling have a male default. The temperature in offices caters to the biology and clothing of men, not women. And these are just a few examples.

This bias towards a male default is not just a small inconvenience for girls and women, which requires a few fixes and adjustments. It underlies the systematic exclusion of women and persistent gender inequalities. Changing the world literally means changing the world to better fit all of us.

Women in the driving seat

It’s in this context that we should view the landmark move last year when the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) hired 163 female bus drivers in Pune, a sprawling city near Mumbai in India. One critical decision made this possible — the MSRTC refitted the system from one designed for men to one that enables the participation of women.

Originally, MSRTC guidelines required all new bus drivers to have a minimum of three years experience driving heavy motor vehicles and a minimum height requirement of 5 feet 2 inches (158 cm). After making a commitment to increase the number of women drivers, these guidelines were changed. Women with one year of experience driving a light motor vehicle were selected for training, and the height requirement was dropped to 5 feet (153 cm). These changes made all the difference, creating new economic and professional opportunities for women drivers and potentially even improving safety for girls and women passengers.

Women are more likely than men to use public transport, and their routes are more complicated than the typical round-trip commute of men as they navigate the multiple and varied tasks that their work — paid and unpaid — requires

In a world designed for men, this is nothing short of transformative. Once we move past the ‘Default Male’, the world can open up for girls and women. It is even more notable in this case because public transport — a service where gender differences should be non-existent — is actually highly gendered. Women are more likely than men to use public transport, and their routes are more complicated than the typical round-trip commute of men as they navigate the multiple and varied tasks that their work — paid and unpaid — requires.

Despite this, routes and schedules are often planned around the peak hours of a traditionally male work day. This is not surprising since, globally, the transport sector is male dominated, both in management and operations.

In a review of the evidence on public safety of girls and women in India by the 3D Program for Girls and Women, we found that girls and women report high rates of sexual harassment and assault on public transportation and that there is little accountability.

To manage and avoid these risks, women make significant compromises, including attending lower quality educational institutions that may be on safer travel routes than more competitive institutions, spending more money to attend institutions closer to home, and extending travel time to avoid dangerous routes.

A driver for change

Focus group discussions with rural girls and women in the Pune District confirmed that girls and women experience harassment and violence and feel unsafe walking to and waiting at bus stops and on buses.

Additionally, although subsidised passes are provided to students, state transport buses are often cancelled, delayed or have inconvenient schedules, leaving girls with no regular and safe way to go to school and college or return home. Many have to choose their course of study based on available transport, avoiding early morning or late-night classes or labs. Having more women drivers combined with changing bus schedules to meet the specific needs of girls and women could make all the difference in raising awareness of the particular challenges they face.

By being willing to move the needle just two inches, the MSRTC has demonstrated that change within the transport sector — which is critical for advancing gender equality — is possible. By better serving the needs of girls and women and making structural changes in how transportation services are delivered at the State level, these small changes have the potential to take girls and women — and India as a country — far. — Sia Nowrojee

(Picture Credit: Unsplash)

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