Self Introduction
I am currently responsible for the development and digitalization of road traffic information and management at the Swedish Transport Administration. My career has included positions at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, VINNOVA (the Swedish Innovation Agency), and the Ministry of Enterprise/Ministry of Infrastructure. Most recently, from 2019 to 2024, I served as a Head of Unit at the Swedish Transport Administration, leading large-scale rail capacity planning projects and European joint projects (TTR). In addition, from 2010 to 2020, I was a member of the committee “Women’s Issues in Transportation” (now Women and Gender in Transportation), and have maintained an interest in gender issues in transport. In this interview, I would like to share events that have had significant gender impacts in the Swedish transport sector throughout my career, and deliver my message based on those experiences.
Swedish Government Efforts in the Transport Sector
The Swedish government has long promoted gender equality and began initiatives early on. Especially in 1994, a cabinet decision required all parliamentary committee recommendations to include references to gender equality, making gender mainstreaming a key theme in all political fields.
A turning point for the transport sector came in 2001. Following the 1994 cabinet decision, the Swedish Parliament added the promotion of gender equality as one of the six subsidiary objectives in transport policy. Since then, gender equality has been recognized as a major topic in transport policy, and various measures were implemented up to 2009, such as mandating reports on differences in travel behaviours between men and women.*1
However, government efforts did not always meet with success. The transport policy objectives were revised in 2006 and 2009, and in the 2009 revision, gender equality was downgraded from a subsidiary objective to being part of of the accessibility objective. While the 2001 objectives clearly specified “men and women” as the target, in the 2009 sub-goals, this language was replaced with vague terms like “everyone.” As a result, the focus on concrete targets was lost, making it difficult to formulate specific follow-up plans for policies, and ultimately causing stagnation in gender initiatives in the transport sector.
Most recently, in 2020, the Swedish Gender Equality Agency provided subsidies to government agencies implementing gender-related initiatives, reigniting interest in gender efforts. The Agency distributed funds to 57 government organizations, with each agency delegated to utilize the budget in their respective fields. For example, the Swedish Transport Administration used subsidies to resume a national survey on the frequency and purpose of car and public transport use by gender, which had been suspended since 2015.
Viewpoints
Lessons from the History of Swedish Transport Policy
I believe that while gender mainstreaming is important, merely incorporating the concept superficially as a policy goal is not enough to achieve true gender equality. After the 2009 revision of transport policy, gender initiatives in the sector stagnated for a time. This was partly because there was an emphasis on including gender in goals, but not enough concrete consideration of who was being targeted, or how follow-up would be carried out based on those goals. Goals without clear targets and methods of realization are merely wishful thinking.
Points to Consider When Developing Measures
When developing specific measures after setting goals, it is important to consider the possibility of being “gender-blind,” and to focus on gender-disaggregated statistics to objectively understand differences in behaviors and needs. For example, a survey conducted 20 years ago revealed that many men did not take into account household tasks such as daycare drop-offs or shopping when designing transport systems. At that time, transport systems were optimized for commuting to work, with other needs not considered. By conducting data-driven analysis, it is possible to move beyond gender-blindness and highlight a wider range of needs based on gender differences.
Message
In conclusion, promoting gender equality requires not only setting policy goals, but also concrete consideration of who is being targeted and how to realize those goals, as well as objective analysis based on gender-disaggregated data. I hope that in transport and other fields, concrete and effective gender-responsive initiatives will continue in the future.
*1: One of the main initiatives during this period was a national survey on the transport sector. From 2002 to 2005, the Swedish Institute for Transport and Communications Analysis (SIKA), under the Ministry of Transport, received research grants from the ministry responsible for gender equality. Surveys were conducted on usage by gender and the impact of transport system development/management, and annual follow-up reports were produced. Results were reported in annual follow-up reports on Swedish transport policy goals and summarized in the government’s annual budget bill, making the status regularly visible. Since necessary data for policy development in the transport sector was generally lacking, other agencies under the Ministry of Transport also conducted government-commissioned research.