March of Women at Changing Transport

Thank you for being part of the IWD23 campaign!

The International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated every year on 8 March to commemorate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and to raise awareness about the challenges they still face in achieving gender equality.

The transport sector, still male-dominated, is proof to this reality. However, our campaign at Changing Transport IWD aims to boosting exceptional women and their participation in the sector, as well as their contributions to building sustainable and inclusive transport systems.

Through the distribution of a variety of content, our team advocates that women’s participation in the transport sector is a key element for its sustainable development.

During the month, we have published two inspiring with women who are leading change in the transport sector and reflected from their experience the challengues, advantages and benefits seeing women as the future of transport.

•  Dr. Sheilah Gaabucayan-Napalang from the Philippines, part of the Women on the Move mentorship network, spoke about the importance of creating a transport system that meets the needs of all, including women, children and elderly.
• Dr. Kawtar Benabdelaziz from Morocco highlighted the many benefits of including more women in the field of transport, including increased diversity, creativity and innovation.

Women are not talking about ideas, they bring in the heart, the mind and the gut to change the transport system

Dr. Sheilah Gaabucayan-Napalang

To complement different perspectives in the campaing, in our #StoryofChange article, our colleagues in Latin America shared the story of why urban mobility and gender are so important in the region. This article highlighted the challenges faced by women in accessing public transport and the need for gender-sensitive policies in the sector, but also demonstrate opportunities to overcome these challenges together.

The Women Mobilize Women team also hosted the award ceremony of Feminist Voices in Transport 2023, where women from different parts of the world shared their perspectives and ideas on how to change transport from different feminist perspectives. This event aimed to recognise the achievements of women in the transport sector and to provide a platform for their voices to be heard. Remarkable women also participated in the study tour in Berlin.

Overall, Changing Transport’s “International Women’s Day” social media campaign was a great success in boosting women’s knowledge and passion in the transport sector and highlighting their contributions to building sustainable and inclusive transport systems. By showcasing the achievements of women in the field, the campaign aimed to inspire more women to enter the sector and to provide them with the support they need to succeed. It is clear that there is still much work to be done to achieve gender equality in the transport sector, but campaigns like this one provide a glimmer of hope that change is possible.