SDG 5 POLICY BRIEF: GENDER EQUALITY AND ROAD SAFETY
written by LAURA DANIELA GÓMEZ, Olufunke Elizabeth Afesojaye, AND Valeria Bernal Castillo
Road safety, gender, and mobility systems are in the spotlight of scholarly pursuits and policy agendas that promote sustainable and inclusive cities worldwide. However, the lack of equitable access to safe and secure mobility for women and girls continues to be a global issue, denying them access to services, economic, political, and social opportunities, education, and culture and creating major barriers to equal participation between genders.
In this Policy Brief, we talk about the lack of gender-responsive planning and implementation around mobility systems that prevent gender-based violence. The Brief seeks to highlight how the lack of road safety and safe mobility is also a gender issue that requires gender-responsive and transformative planning to protect and ensure equal access to all genders. It highlights the realities girls and women face while navigating through transport systems not built for them. The data reveal how disproportionately affected women are, not just in access to mobility but in how they are affected if they are ever involved in a road crash.
key data on gender eQUALITY
key messages of the polIcy brief
Government and Policymakers
Support cities to scale up and mainstream meaningful participation of women and girls in the design, planning, and implementation of safe and sustainable mobility policies as a part of long-term strategies to build inclusive and sustainable cities and communities.
Promote the analysis of road traffic crashes by gender and age so that women and girls are visible in data, which in turn can inform policy design, the implementation of safe infrastructure, and the improvement of vehicle safety technology.
Invest in protective infrastructure for walking and cycling, ensuring a connected transport network that offers safe and secure access to public transit for young girls, women, and men.
WHO, UN, and International Organizations
Provide governments with tangible strategies that will enhance the active participation of young girls and women in policy and decision-making, to deliver gender equality and road safety.
Civil society organizations, youth individuals, youth-led organizations, and academia
Hold governments accountable for the achievement of SDG 5 to ensure women and young girls’ meaningful participation in the transport sector and cities are designed under a gender-inclusive vision.
Work at the grassroots level to develop awareness campaigns and challenge social norms around mobility and end gender-based violence.
