A Women and Gender Audit (conducted by the Gender

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A Women and Gender Audit(conducted by the Gender
Development Unit for the National Department of
Transport) 01 February 2008 31 December 2008
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Aims of DOT Audit

• Women and Gender Audit aims to provide a
  comprehensive audit of womens involvement and
  participation in the transport sector in South
  Africa.
• The South African Network for Women in
  Transports (SANWIT) highlighted numerous
  structural and systematic barriers confronting
  women as employees and entrepreneurs in
  Transport.
• The aim of the DoT Audit is firstly to determine
  the status quo with respect to women in the
  transport sector, including skills, career
  aspirations and barriers. Secondly, to ascertain
  limiting factors to transport by civil society.
• The results of the study will assist the DoT in
  addressing gender imbalances and inform future
  gender responsive transport planning and
  projects. The Audit is comprised of three
  activities (1) literature review (2) Internal
  Audit of the Department (3) External Audit of
  the Department

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Key Link to Government Policy

• Chapter 2 of the Constitution focusing on the
  Bill of Rights that makes provision in section 9
  (subsections 3 4) for equality. Equality is a
  non-derogable right.
• 9 (3) The state may not unfairly discriminate
  directly or indirectly against anyone on one or
  more grounds including race, gender, sex.
• 9(4) No person may unfairly discriminate
  directly or indirectly against anyone on one or
  more grounds in terms of subsection 3.

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Literature

• The literature review explores the need to
  address womens specific gender transport
  requirements as reflected by their multiple roles
  and responsibilities.
• The four roles that women play in the SA
  transport sector are as users, as
  consultants/participants, as service providers
  and as employees, which forms the foundation for
  the DoT Audit.
• The geographical location of women in SA society
  and the relevance of transport in their lives is
  investigated.
• Access, availability, appropriateness and
  affordability of transport modes can either
  eradicate or worsen the disadvantages linked to
  womens roles in society. These aspects are
  highlighted for their salience to transport
  stakeholders such as planners, policy makers and
  providers.
• There is a focus on Department of Transport (DoT)
  policies that have significance for women
  transport employees (these are recruitment
  selection HR development strategy (2003-2006)
  Sexual Harassment Policy HIV/AIDS Policy Draft
  Employment Equity Plan (2006-2008).

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Methodology of the Audit
Project questions Aim Methodological strategy Instrument No. of instruments and Unit of analysis
To examine the status quo of women transport employees in terms of equity representivity (gender and race) education and skills career aspiration To address equity, representivity, ------------------------------- and organisational culture in respect of women at the DoT Quantitative Document analysis Employment equity status report of 31 August 2008 ----------------------------- Qualitative Interviews and Focus group discussions 493 NDoT employees ----------------------------- 47 abled employees 3 disabled employees 2 groups of DoT employees (abled employees and disabled females)
To explore the barriers confronting women as transport employees To improve communication, information flow and assist the upward mobility of women employees Qualitative Interviews and Focus group discussions 47 abled employees 3 disabled employees 2 groups of DoT employees (11 abled employees and 2 disabled females)
To explore the barriers confronting women as transport entrepreneurs To improve transport communication information flow and assist women entrepreneurs in transport Qualitative Interviews 4 transport stakeholders
To ascertain problems experienced by civil society in respect of all modes of transport (motorized and non-motorized) To address gender imbalances in the development and supply of transport products and services To improve womens consumption of services Quantitative and Qualitative Interviews 1000 commuters
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Preliminary Findings Internal Audit

• In general, provision in terms of the budget is
  made for a total of 680 posts at a national level
  but only 72,5 (493) of posts are filled whilst
  27,5 (187) of posts remain vacant. The greatest
  number of posts that require to be filled are in
  the upper echelons namely post levels 13-16
  where 65, 7 are filled and 34,3 need to be
  filled largely by female candidates (39 posts).
• African female employees, age group 30-60 years,
  in the upper echelons openly revealed that if
  opportunities availed themselves outside of the
  DOT, they would resign.
• In general, women in the upper employment levels
  did not have career aspirations in transport and
  a few cited the view that upward mobility was
  problematic in the department because of a lack
  of opportunities for career-paths.
• Women employees, in particular Africans in upper
  employment levels were unhappy and demotivated
  and feeling demoralised. A lack of job
  satisfaction at the DoT appeared to have a direct
  link to employee well-being and the retention of
  employees.

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Findings continued

• Having to fulfill the roles of mother and
  provider whilst being disabled is economically,
  emotionally and physically challenging for female
  employees with disabilities.
• Female employees felt that there was a need for
  the DoT to distinguish between the public work
  domain and the private family domain as any
  overlap creates tensions in the home environment.
  
• Female and a few male employees commented on a
  host of reasons that they perceived as barriers
  to the advancement of women in the transport
  sector. Barriers can be differentiated along the
  lines of being either organizational or
  socio-cultural. In terms of social barriers there
  appears to be a firm belief by women across all
  employment levels that there is a lack of
  recognition and value for the work that women do
  by other women who are their superiors and men in
  general. Organisationally, it appears that there
  is inadequate support/ scaffolding to assist
  women to grow and perform within the
  organizational structures of the DoT.

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Preliminary Findings External Audit (n 1000
across SAs 9 provinces)

• Women dominate travel via non-motorised methods.
  More than 50 of respondents travel for the
  purpose of household shopping. In general, 87,04
  respondents were of the opinion that public
  transport is affordable but they have no or
  limited access due to their geographic location,
  hence the use of non-motorised means.
• 82,94 stated that a bus service is available
  when needed. Those who complained about
  availability cited reasons such as there being
  insufficient buses in number, overcrowding, and a
  failure to arrive at the scheduled time in
  addition to being slow.  
• 99,44 of the participants travelling by taxis
  were African.

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Some recommendations

• The need exists to attract more disabled
  candidates to the DoT which can possibly be
  fast-tracked by consulting organisations that are
  specifically for the disabled and to initiate
  strategic relationships that will feed into
  various employment possibilities within the DoT
  at present and for future needs.
• Increase the construction of roads in rural areas
  so that buses and taxis can infiltrate and offer
  a much needed and relatively affordable service.
• A key priority must be safe, affordable public
  transport .
• Local authorities need to introduce categories of
  fares where there are concessions especially for
  multiple trips, for rural areas, for scolars and
  for the elderly.
• Transport Services must be frequent in peak
  periods to prevent overcrowding.
• The introduction of a transport call centre for
  the public which has updates on all public
  transport networks and can thus plan a journey
  using multiple transport modes between
  cities/towns.