1. Gender Equality as a
Subsidiary Objective of
Swedish Transport
Policy
- What Has Happened Since 2001?
Åsa Vagland, VINNOVA
Transportforum 2011
2. Disposition of the Presentation
• Background – before the objective in 2001
• What happened between 2001 and 2004?
• What has happened since 2004?
• Analysis and conclusions
• What will happen next?
3. Background
Before the Objective
1994 National directive to analyse gender
equality
1998 Transport Policy for Sustainable
Development
1999 Gender Equality Council for Transport
and IT (Jämit)
2001 Infrastructure for a Long-term Sustainable
Transport System
4. Background
Men/Women in Executive Boards and
Steering Committees 2000
Executive boards
Road
Rail
Maritime
Civil aviation
0 20 40 60 80%
Steering committees
Road
Rail
Maritime
Civil aviation Women
0 20 40 60 80 100%
Men
Source: Jämit
5. Background
The Transport Policy Objectives
“The overall objective is to ensure socially,
economically efficient and long-term sustainable
transport resources for the public and industry
throughout Sweden”
Six subsidiary objectives: Accessibility, regional
development, transport quality, traffic safety,
environment and gender equality
6. Background
Gender Equality in
the Transport System
“The transport system shall be designed so that it
meets both men’s and women’s transport
requirements.
Women and men shall have the same
opportunities to influence the construction, design
and management of the transport system, and
their values shall be given equal weight.”
7. 2001-2004
After the Decision 2001
Commissions to SIKA and the transport agencies:
• Intermediate Objectives
• Effects of Infrastructure Measures
• Proportion men/women in working groups
• Analyse men’s and women’s usage and impact
on development and management
Objective developed about distribution of power
and influence within every mode of transport.
8. Since 2004
What Has Happened Since
2004?
• On the political arena
• Governmental briefs and guidelines
9. Since 2004
On the Political Arena
• Governmental bill on gender equality, 2006
• ”New” government, 2006
• Reorganisation of the transport sector
• Governmental bill on transport policy, 2006
• Governmental bill on transport policy, 2009
10. Since 2004
Government Bill on Transport
Policy 2006
• Gender mainstreaming - all other subsidiary
objectives should be analysed through a
gender perspective
• Intermediate objective on representation in
steering committees
11. Since 2004
Government Bill on Transport
Policy 2009
• New transport policy decision adopted
• The overall objective kept the same
• New structure on objectives:
– Functional objective: Accessibility
– Impact objective: Health, safety and
environment
12. Since 2004
Functional Objective:
Accessibility
“The design, function and use of the transport
system will contribute to provide everyone
with basic accessibility of good quality and
functionality and to development capacity
throughout the country. The transport
system will be gender equal, meeting the
transport needs of both women and men
equally.”
13. Since 2004
Governmental Briefs and
Guidelines
• 1997-2008 same briefs and similar annual
guidelines: defined assignments analysing
their efforts towards the objectives
• 2009: shorter, less detailed annual
guidelines, no special assignments stated
15. Analysis
The Political Decision in 2001
Was Essential
• It started the gender mainstreaming process
within the transport sector in Sweden
• The transport agencies would never have
come this far without the objective
• The commissions in the guidelines forced
the transport agencies to report back
• More mature discussion 2005 and onwards
16. Analysis
Having Said That…
• Effects of the objective difficult to measure
and on a long-term perspective
• The present transport system is the result of
investments made over long time
• Today’s transport system is explained by
the values and needs of the past politicians
and planners.
17. Analysis
Transport Agencies Are Aware
That …
• It makes a difference who is involved in the
processes of planning, designing and
maintaining
• Knowledge and competence is needed
when working towards gender equality
21. Analysis
Effects of the New Government
• New transport objectives
• Rephrasing governmental guidelines
• Reorganisation of the transport sector
How will this effect the gender equality?
22. Analysis
The New Transport Objectives
• The subsidiary objective on gender equality
is no longer valid.
• What effect will this have on the gender
equality in the transport sector?
• How much will the gender equality
perspective influence the future
infrastructure plans?
• Will the transport agencies continue the
work towards gender equality?
23. Analysis
Rephrasing the guidelines
• Without objectives and annual assignments
to report to the Government …
• … the whole governing structure for the
governmental agencies is changed
• The long-term effects are not known yet!
24. Analysis
Reorganisation of the
Transport Sector
• Depending on the new governmental briefs
and the executive board for the new
transport agency…
• … the way the transport agencies have
worked could change
• also how the knowledge and competence
on gender mainstreaming are taken
onboard in the new organisation
25. What Will Happen In the
Future?
• What decisions will future Governments
and Parliaments take?
• Is it possible to reintroduce a gender
equality objective again?
• Is it desirable to reintroduce it?
• Do Sweden still need a gender equality
objective within the transport sector?
26. Thank you for your attention!
Åsa Vagland
+ 46 8 473 30 65
asa.vagland@VINNOVA.se
