In south states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the state governments have launched schemes that provide free bus travel for women.
The report, by Uber and Oxford Economics, draws from a survey of Uber riders conducted across five Indian cities. (Creative Commons)
Access to mobility can increase women’s participation in the workforce between 4 to 6.9 percent by 2028, a report by Uber and Oxford Economics said.
The report draws from a survey of Uber riders conducted across five Indian cities — Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
The report said that access to mobility can boost the number of women in the workforce in these cities to 0.32-0.56 million and lead to an increase of over one percent in the size of their economies.
Speaking at the release of the report on Thursday, 14 December, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said that access to mobility can improve workforce participation of women and it is also imperative for increasing their enrolment in higher education.
“Today, we have 2 crore women enrolled in higher education institutions but if you look at the numbers behind it, the transition for women who have, let’s say, completed their Class 12 to higher education institutions is less than 25 percent,” she said.
“The number of women who can access higher education institutions, if mobility becomes more affordable… I’m sure it will double,” she added.
https://twitter.com/smritiirani/status/1735336428371071324
According to the report, four out of 10 working women riders agreed that ride-hailing enabled them to join the workforce, helping them overcome some of the key barriers.
Half of the working women surveyed felt that ride-hailing was a crucial factor in helping them strike a balance between work and family responsibilities.
Around 75 percent of the women who use cabs to commute to work cited safety as the primary reason behind the choice. One in three (32 percent) working women riders agreed that ride-hailing enabled them to access a wider pool of suitable work opportunities, broadening their horizons and career prospects.
It may be noted that in states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in South India, the DMK-led and Congress-led state governments, respectively, have in place free bus rides for women.
In Tamil Nadu, when MK Stalin was sworn in as Chief Minister in 2021, he announced a scheme that would enable all women to travel for free in government-owned city and town buses that was put into effect immediately. The main intention behind this scheme is to increase the work participation rate of women and to promote public transportation.
In Karnataka, before the Congress government came into power following the Assembly elections in May, they outlined a scheme for free bus travel for women in their manifesto. On 11 June, they launched Shakti, their zero-ticket scheme that provided free travel for women on Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses.
(With PTI inputs)
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