Policymakers are beginning to tackle the under-representation of women in the transport sector, a problem where ETF has long called for action. In 2015, under the direct coordination of Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Transport (DG MOVE) opened a debate about women in transport. The aim of this initiative is to identify the most pressing issues faced by women in transport, to find their causes and to search for concrete solutions for a better integration of women in the transport industry.
On 27 November 2017, the European Commission launched the EU Platform for Change. The ETF joined many other transport stakeholders in signing a declaration on equal opportunities for women and men in the transport sector.
The objective of the EU Platform for Change is to strengthen women’s employment and offer equal opportunities for women and men in the transport sector. Platform members will undertake actions with this aim and exchange good practices.
The ETF is one of the founding members of the platform and we actively contribute to this debate by raising the issues relating to the working conditions of women transport workers. The initiative is an opportunity for the European Commission to engage in a truthful evaluation of the negative aspects of transport work that prevent women taking and keeping jobs in the sector. The question of women’s under-representation cannot be taken in isolation, so improving overall labour and employment conditions will have to be at the core of policymaker’s endeavour to improve female participation in transport.