Karachi is considered the economic hub of Pakistan, but it lacks a systematized public transport service. Although the demand-supply gap in the transport sector and the poor quality of this deregulated service affects everyone, it wreaks havoc for women, manifesting in the form of social exclusion. Men can benefit from alternative, (and sometimes cheaper) private modes of transport such as motorbikes, which are socially discouraged for women, making them dependent on their male counterparts. Despite the seriousness of this issue, there is little literature showing how women are differentially deprived of their agency due to gender disparity in society. To better understand this issue, the aim of this paper is to study the cultural foundations of transport poverty to assess their impact on women’s life opportunities. For this purpose, the experiences of women while using public transport have been analysed. The study has identified a variety of reasons why women curtail their mobility. It concludes that the social exclusion of women motivates a greater concern for their freedom of movement and that their needs be adequately reflected in transportation policies.

BACKGROUND: There is a widespread acceptance and shift towards sustainable, inclusive and smart mobility solutions around the world. However, in Karachi, poorly coordinated urban planning, lack of effective governance structure and investment in transport, has allowed the growth of an almost unregulated and ungovernable informal transport sector. Women are more severely affected by the poor service since men not only have more space allocated to them on public transport but also have the freedom to use alternative and cheaper private vehicles such as motorbikes and cycles. Poor representation of women in the transport sector further aggravates the situation. OBJECTIVE: The paper aims to highlight the gender-disaggregated effects of poor transport design, provision and lack of personal agency on mobility, for emphasising the social and cultural attitudes faced by female employees. It argues that not integrating the gender-based disadvantages faced by women into planning, reinforces their disadvantaged position and force them to take complex trips. METHODS: Scenario-based questions were designed for focus group discussion which covered not only the everyday mobility challenges but also their reactions to the potential solutions. For a gender-based comparative analysis, two separate focus group discussions were organised. RESULTS: Adopting a sector-based mapping approach of the issues discussed in the groups helped understand the complexity of female user experience at various levels, starting from planning or discussing the trips with families, to making modal choices. It also helped to tease out the impact of these issues on their employment opportunities as early-career women. CONCLUSION: The model proposed in this paper can help illustrate where changes can be made in the system considering the social aspects of transport.

Since the publication of Lynn White’s (1967) influential essay “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis”, scholars have argued about the role of religions, and Christianity in particular, in mo...

This paper studies the perceptions of transport experts towards the state of transport and mobility barriers faced by women in the context of Karachi, Pakistan, a representative megacity in the global South. It is based on the data gathered by ‘conversations with purpose’ with key informants or experts in the transport sector to understand their attitudes towards transport provision and operation. Such interviews can attempt to understand the cultural and behavioural foundations of urban transport planning. It was found that poorly coordinated planning, lack of effective governance structure and investment have allowed the growth of an almost unregulated and ungovernable informal transport sector in Karachi. Apart from these issues, most experts displayed a patriarchal mindset that manifested itself by demeaning women’s importance and their contributions. Due to the lack of female representation, such views remained unchallenged, and the majority of the informants did not express a desire to integrate women into decision-making or consultation processes. It can thus be argued that improving women’s mobility require changing the mindset of transport planners, who consider women as mainly responsible for household tasks and therefore beneath their consideration. The paper also suggests some preliminary recommendations to address the issue of breaking away gender stereotypes in the transport sector.

(2018). Cityscapes of violence. Publics and counter-publics of violence in Karachi, edited by Nichola Khan, Karachi, London and New York, Hurst & Co., 2017, 252 pp., £31.74 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9781849047265. Urban Geography: Vol. 39, No. 6, pp. 966-967.