In collaboration with UN Habitat and the Flone Initiative, the UNESCO Chair conducted a study to analyse women’s mobility on the main public transport system in the city of Nairobi: the minibus, popularly known as matatu. The results of the study showed significant differences between men and women in their use of the matatu. The differences found confirm patterns already identified in other cities and transport modes, such as differences in access to private vehicles as a mobility alternative, perceptions of safety, and travel purposes, highlighting a higher proportion of trips related to care activities.
The data showed that women are the main users of the matatu system and that this is very similar for women with different socio-economic profiles, affecting all levels of income and education. Women in Nairobi make a greater number of daily trips, combining different modes of transport or using different matatu lines. In general, women either travel greater distances per day than men, or the area they travel to is usually not covered by a single line and they tend to have to make more changes.
The mobility patterns of women in Nairobi show that they are the ones who incorporate some form of care-related travel into their daily mobility, usually before or after going to work. A unique contribution of the study is that it shows that the distances for care-related travel are not particularly shorter than those for work-related travel.
On the other hand, the study found that a significant percentage of women do not use public transport for safety reasons. The level of perceived safety is high for both sexes, but it is women who show a high level of concern about being sexually assaulted. Despite this perception of insecurity, the study found that many women are forced to commute at night for work, which increases their level of insecurity (real and perceived).
The study concluded with a series of key recommendations to address inequalities in mobility in the matatu system. These recommendations were grouped along two main lines: improving the safety of the transport system as a whole, and improving the response to mobility needs associated with care. The study served as the basis for a broader strategy aimed at creating safe, sustainable and accessible public transport for women and vulnerable groups in various countries in Africa.
To learn more about what “mobility of care” is and how to apply it, click HERE