Stories6 March 2020 / India
3 in 5 women limit their job opportunities to 1km from home.1 They are more likely than men to give up higher-paying jobs for a shorter commute.2
This is the gender commute gap.
We conducted a social experiment to show how equally ambitious men and women can have different priorities while picking a job.
Understanding the reasons behind gender commute gap
- Gender roles are uneven
Women spend 5.77 times longer on household work in a day than men.3 According to the World Economic Forum, before the birth of her first child, a woman’s commute was slightly shorter than the average man.4 However, in the decade after that, her average commute time fell, while it stayed the same for the father.5 An uneven share of parental duties makes her pick a job closer to home.
- Safety
Many women have felt exposed to physical aggression, sexual harassment and other forms of unwelcome behaviour in the absence of safe and reliable transportation. While this is a cause of concern in itself, it also reduces economic opportunities for women and increases inequality.6
- Lack of reliable transport options
Faster modes of transport are more expensive, compelling women to spend more time travelling on slower modes to reach work.7 Added to this, the absence of affordable and reliable ways to reach Metro and bus stations also limits their opportunities.8
We can bridge the gender commute gap together
- What we can do as employers
The gender commute gap is limiting women’s opportunities, and thereby, limiting talent in our workplaces. Employers can help by understanding how this issue affects their current and potential employees. Some employers are providing simplified transportation options to and from work, others are exploring ways to reduce this gap through child-friendly workplaces and starting conversations about how to reduce barriers and promote equality at home and work.
- Our efforts towards bridging the gap
At Uber, we believe that we should and can help reduce the gender commute gap by enabling safe and convenient mobility options for everyone, especially women. Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and with features such as ‘24/7 on-trip safety helpline’, ‘Share your trip’ and ‘Ride-check,’ we strive to continuously raise the bar on safety. Learn more about safety at Uber here.
Our varied mobility options such as UberPremier, UberGo, UberPool, UberIntercity and UberAccess help millions of riders move forward every day. UberAuto and UberMoto offer affordable and accessible choices to ride to and from Metro and bus stations. - What we can do as individuals
This International Women’s Day and beyond, let’s create awareness and conversation about the gender commute gap. Voice your opinion #WithinHerReach.
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Posted by Vishnuvardhini Sreenivasan
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