Self-introduction, Career Path, and Interest in the Transport Sector and Gender Issues
I am currently working as the Gender and Inclusion Advisor for the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). I also serve as one of the a co-leads of the “Women Mobilizse Women” initiative. Until two years ago, I lived in the Philippines, where I worked as an urban planner, promoting active mobility such as cycling and walking in collaboration with the World Bank and local organizations.
My interest in gender issues dates back to my first job after finishing my university studies in journalism. In the Philippines, traffic congestion and mobility challenges are severe, and one of my colleagues once told me, “I leave for work at 5 a.m. and come home late at night, so I never see my children.” Hearing this story, I was shocked by the reality that people are deprived of time with their families, and I decided, “I want to change people’s lives through the field of transport.” Since then, I have been working to promote cycling and to create a society where everyone—including women, people with disabilities, and children—can access mobility without hesitation.
Current Projects
As a lead of “Women Mobilise Women,” I am working globally on gender-sensitive and inclusive transport. This initiative started in 2018 and aims to promote women’s participation and leadership in the male-dominated transport sector through collaboration among women. In the series of events called “Remarkable Women in Transport,” we highlight women who are active in the transport field and increase opportunities for women to speak at events.
In 2024, we launched the “Global Alliance for Feminist Transport,” building a network where women in the transport sector worldwide can share knowledge and challenges. Specific examples include the development of guides for gender-responsive urban transport planning and a self-assessment tool for feminist transport for urban transport operators in Latin America.
We are also accumulating knowledge in the transport sector. We operate the website and knowledge hub for the “Global Alliance for Feminist Transport,” making it possible for organizations worldwide to upload information on gender and transport. Additionally, we are developing the “Global Expert Database,” which allows users to search for experts by country, language, and area of expertise.
My Role in the Project
I see myself as a “connector.” My main role is not just organizing events but also bringing together partners and stakeholders according to the challenges and cultural backgrounds of different regions and countries, and creating opportunities to think together. For example, through the “Building Feminist City Series,” we held region-specific events, discussing the intersection of gender and race in Latin America, and the intersection of gender and LGBTQI issues in Asia. By providing these opportunities for dialogue, we ultimately encourage participants to build their own communities and take action.
Project Outcomes and Evaluation
The self-assessment tool for feminist transport, which I mentioned earlier, is designed for public transport operators and authorities to evaluate whether they are integrating gender perspectives from the planning to the monitoring stages. It was piloted in Cali, Colombia. Within a few months of implementation, issues were identified through self-assessment, leading to the creation of anti-harassment protocols and driver training on responding to harassment. We plan to expand this tool to other cities and release it online in the future.
Although it is difficult to quantify, I also feel the positive impact of “community building.” For example, since the launch of “Women Mobilise Women” in 2018, a community of women in the transport sector has emerged in Latin America called Mujeres en Movimiento, or Women in Motion. Since then, leaders and policymakers in transport from countries such as Chile and Mexico have been discussing ways to promote policies together, and I sense that the influence on policy and practice is steadily expanding.
Outlook
Our role is to walk alongside local people so that they can drive change themselves, providing necessary knowledge and resources. We will continue to foster international collaboration to realize a society where women and diverse people can move safely and comfortably in cities and regions around the world, including Japan.
Finally, if you are in a position of influence, I encourage you to ask yourself, “How can I empower other women in the same field?” I also hope that not only those working in transport but also the people who use transport in their daily lives will keep asking, “How can mothers and women travel safely?” It is crucial to keep asking these questions. Moreover, data and evidence are also important. For example, how many women are affected, how many are working in the sector—if you want to drive change for women, the first step is to count them.