Mobility & Access
Gendered Mobility & the Demand for Transport in Urban Ethiopia
How can transportation systems better support women's mobility, economic opportunity, and well-being?
Quick Facts
Location
Ethiopia
Research Area
Mobility & Access
Research Type
Field Experiment / Impact Evaluation
Status
Completed
Lead Organization
EconInsight & Columbia University
Partners
AidData
The Specifics
Objective
Objective
To assess the extent to which mobility and travel demand vary by gender in urban Ethiopia, and to evaluate how improved access to safe, high-quality transport affects women’s mobility, access to markets and services, job search and labor market outcomes, and measures of empowerment and well-being.
Findings
Key Findings
At baseline, mobility was markedly gendered: 80% of men traveled daily or almost daily versus fewer than 40% of women. About 75% of participants used the transport benefit. Across the Woman, Man, and Couple arms, there were no significant differences in take-up, total trips, share of credit spent, or average trip cost, suggesting that improved transport access can help close the mobility gender gap regardless of which household member initially receives it. Women who used the service alone spent more per trip than men (a proxy for traveling farther), traveled alone more often (62% vs. 48%), and were more likely to travel with children (34% vs. 21%). About 30% of women and 24% of men who used the service reported it helped their job search, pointing to a spatial mismatch between where women live and where jobs are located.
Influence
Policy or Program Influence
Findings and recommendations (improved pedestrian infrastructure, lighting and security, women-only transit options, gender-disaggregated planning data, and including women as transport planners) were shared with and discussed by the
Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, and the Addis Ababa Transport Bureau, and referenced against Addis Ababa’s Non-Motorised Transport Strategy and its 2030 Strategic Comprehensive Transport Development Plan. A
technical workshop and planning meeting in November 2023 convened 34 stakeholders from the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, Addis Ababa Transport Bureau, Addis Ababa University, the Policy Studies Institute, the World Bank, and IGC, including Tigrist Yeheyis (MOT, Director of Gender and Social Affairs), Minyamir Yitayih (MOWSW, Inclusion Work Unit Head), and Hailmariam Michael (AATB, Research Department Director).
Collaboration
