Abstract
This paper reflects on the mobility experiences of women in African cities in COVID-19, based on research conducted both prior to and following entry into the COVID-19 ‘moment’. It draws on material collected during an ongoing action research study aimed at addressing the everyday transport and mobility challenges faced by young women living in poor peripheral communities of three African cities – Abuja, Cape Town and Tunis. The project has the specific objective of supporting young women's improved access to employment opportunities through trialling various mobility/transport-related skills interventions (based on prior in-depth analysis of mobility constraints). With the onset of COVID-19 some readjustments to the research focus and planned interventions became necessary. The research teams, together with an NGO partner, are now working to chart how young women's everyday experiences of mobility and transport - both as transport users and as transport sector workers - are changing as processes of lockdown and their relaxation evolve. The paper covers the period from early 2019 through to March 2021, and offers reflections regarding ‘lived experiences’ of mobility practice pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and the potential longer-term mobility-related impacts for women resident in low-income neighbourhoods in a post-COVID-19 era. This leads to consideration of key policy lessons. There is potential for prioritisation of Non-Motorised Transport interventions towards a green restart that would benefit women (for instance through promoting women's cycling), and for growing women's participation as transport operators, even perhaps the usage of drones to aid women's safer pedestrian travel. But such interventions will require far greater representation of women in COVID-19 and wider transport decision-making entities than has hitherto been the case.
Highlights
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, early fears regarding the severity of potential impacts on the poorest pop ulations, especially women, are being confirmed
To take just one example, access to jobs, Woldemichael (2020) notes that lack of safe transportation for women to and from work is associated with a 15.5% lower labour force participation rate for women across developing countries: he estimates that had African countries achieved the same rate of female to male participation as high-income countries, the continent would have an additional 44 million women actively participating in its labour markets, with po tential GDP gains from 1% in Senegal to 50% in Niger
Nigeria’s intra-city transport fares increased by, at mini mum, 10 per cent between January and June 2020: in Abuja bus fares rose up to 50%, and some informal transport by over 100% following the first lockdown in March2, 020.6 The Association of Private Transport Company Owners of Nigeria (APTCON) threatened fare rises of up to 500%, following a new law (October 2020) regarding social distancing in buses (7 passengers maximum in a 14 seater bus, 28 passengers in a 50 seater bus)
Summary
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, early fears regarding the severity of potential impacts on the poorest pop ulations, especially women, are being confirmed (de Paz et al, 2020). Initial investigations conducted by the peer re searchers – personal mobility diaries, observations and interviews with their peers in the target age group (15–35 years) - helped identify key research questions which were pursued further by the academic teams This second phase encompassed in-depth interviews and focus groups with young women on their transport to work/school experi ences and aspirations; with major transport employers, small transport business owners and transport sector employees; with men in the study communities and in the wider transport sector regarding their views of women’s potential to work successfully in it.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
