The role of the state in promoting gender equality in public transport employment: evidence from the Global South

Public transport straddles public and private sector employment, with some transport services owned and run by public authorities. Commonly, however, services are commissioned by public authorities and operated by private companies. In the Global South, transport services are frequently operated by informal workers. The state has multiple roles in the production - and reduction - of gender inequality in public transport employment. The chapter considers the roles of the state as owner, regulator, procurer and funder of public transport, and in providing employment training and skills. It identifies key ways in which national and local states shape the experiences of transport workers, drawing on research on the future of work for women in public transport in five cities in the Global South. Paget-Seekins and Tironi’s (2016) conceptualisation of ‘public’ offers a framework for considering how the state could intervene further to improve public transport through a stronger focus on gender equality.