Redesigning Mobility: ADB's Vision for Gender-Responsive Transport Across Asia-Pacific

The ADB’s report provides a comprehensive roadmap to transform transport systems in Asia-Pacific into gender-inclusive, safe, and empowering spaces for women. It integrates data, design, policy, and employment reforms to close mobility and access gaps across the region.

Research by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), released in August 2025, is a sweeping policy blueprint developed with contributions from The Urban Catalysts, WRI India, Ola Mobility Institute, JustJobs Network, and the World Bank, offers a bold framework for transforming transportation systems across Asia and the Pacific to serve not just men, but women, girls, older adults, people with disabilities, and gender minorities. Rooted in data, rich with global and regional case studies, and policy-forward in its tone, the document elevates gender from a footnote to the foreground of transport planning and governance. It is a call for nothing short of a gender revolution in mobility.

A Landscape Marked by Inequity and Invisibility

Transport is often treated as gender-neutral, yet in practice it is anything but. Across developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, women's travel behavior is shaped by patriarchal expectations and care burdens. Women are more likely to make multi-stop trips, travel with dependents, and rely on shared or nonmotorized modes like walking, bicycles, and buses, largely because they have less access to personal vehicles. In conservative societies, concerns over sexual harassment, especially in crowded or poorly lit spaces, further restrict their mobility. ADB notes that in Karachi, men make 1.92 daily trips compared to just 0.71 by women. In Delhi, women often choose lower-ranked colleges simply to avoid unsafe routes.

Yet, transport data frequently omits these nuances. Most countries still lack consistent sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data (SADDD), making invisible the daily struggles women face just getting from point A to B. Where such data has been collected, the insights are striking. For instance, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, over 90% of women have faced some form of violence while using public transport. In Baku, Azerbaijan, 81% of women reported sexual harassment. Without robust data, gender-based disparities in transport remain underdiagnosed and underserved.

From Indicators to Infrastructure: Designing for Inclusion

The ADB report presents a comprehensive suite of gender-focused performance indicators, from female ridership and travel time reductions to workforce participation and access to health or education facilities. It outlines design elements that support inclusive, gender-responsive transport systems. These include level sidewalks, universally accessible restrooms, transparent windows in buses, gender-segregated seating, bike-sharing services tailored to women, and safe, well-lit terminals. Infrastructure isn't just a technical concern, it's a social justice issue.

Case studies illustrate the tangible impact of such changes. The Karachi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, financed by ADB, improved safety and comfort for women commuters and saw female ridership rise from 15% to 20%. In India's Nagpur Metro project, two stations are planned to be operated by 80% women and 3% persons with disabilities or transgender people. In Davao, Philippines, new bus terminals will feature lactation rooms, gender-segregated restrooms, and a 10% minimum quota for female security personnel.

Jobs, Justice, and E-Mobility

The report pushes for gender equality in not just access but employment and entrepreneurship. Women currently make up just 12% of the global transport workforce. National strategies are shifting, with Bhutan's low-emission strategy including driver training for women and priority electric taxi subsidies for female operators. In Vietnam, Ola Electric's all-women factory is training over 1,500 women in advanced vehicle manufacturing roles. In Tonga's main port, ADB-funded upgrades now include a gender-sensitive HR policy, equal pay monitoring, and child care services to help recruit and retain women in nontraditional roles.

In India, the JBM Odisha electric bus project includes a gender action plan focused on hiring women, particularly those with disabilities, while the Guizhou Smart Transport System in China targets 30% female employment in technical roles. These examples demonstrate how green mobility and gender equality can be jointly accelerated. Research from The Urban Catalysts in Delhi and Chennai shows how better e-vehicle design, safer charging infrastructure, and licensing support can dramatically improve women's mobility and autonomy.

Transforming Culture and Systems, Not Just Commutes

Perhaps most transformative is the report's strong focus on changing institutions and social norms. From embedding gender-responsive policies into national transport strategies to revising restrictive labor laws (as seen in Azerbaijan), the document details how change must come from both the top and grassroots. Legal reforms, budget allocations, and survivor-centered grievance mechanisms are all integral. In Manila and Quezon City, local ordinances now criminalize catcalling, stalking, and leering in public transport systems. In Mongolia's Ger Areas, awareness campaigns in schools helped reshape young people's attitudes about sexual harassment in buses.

The ADB also advocates for gender mainstreaming through the entire project life cycle, from project design and procurement to monitoring and evaluation. Implementation should include dedicated gender focal points within agencies, cross-sector gender advisory committees, and ongoing public consultation. In Chennai, India, the Gender and Policy Lab under the World Bank-supported City Partnership has emerged as a model for inter-agency coordination, research, and advocacy.

The Road Ahead: Making Equality a Transport Norm

The final sections of the report call for better monitoring, evaluation, and sustainability of gender initiatives in transport. ADB recommends baseline, interim, and end-line studies, and the regular use of SADDD user surveys. These assessments not only capture impacts but also inform scale-up and replication. For example, in Nepal's rural road project, women-run maintenance groups not only kept roads usable but gained access to savings, small business opportunities, and local political leadership.

Transforming the transport sector into one that truly supports gender equality requires more than seats reserved for women. It demands systems that enable choice, safety, opportunity, and visibility. Through its detailed roadmap, the report shows that building roads, metros, and bus corridors isn't just a matter of engineering; it's a powerful lever for equity, dignity, and empowerment. When women move freely, entire communities move forward.