Sub regional Capacity Building Workshop of the United Nations

1. Closing the gender gap in
transport and logistics sector
workforce
Background and way forward approaches
Prof. (Dr.) Lalith Edirisinghe
Dean, Faculty of Management and Social
Sciences.
Head of Technology Transfer (World Bank)
CINEC Campus, Sri Lanka

2. Today’s discussion points
1. Introduction
2. Retrospect and Key take aways from the work done
3. Knowledge into practice
4. Policies and Way Forward

3. Transport & logistics in the ESCAP
• Nearly 60% of the world's population resides in
Asia and the Pacific region.
• The demand for transport and logistics services
are derived to satisfy global needs and wants
• Countries need to
– minimize unnecessary traffic congestion in the cities,
– recognize freight generators, value-adders, and end-
consumers

4. THEORETICAL VIEW TO TRANSPORT, LABOR, AND
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY
4

5. THE LABOR COMPONENT IN THE TRANSPORT
INDUSTRY
• The PLIM Model
The PLIM Model: Edirisinghe, L. (2021). Logistics Sinhalen: CINEC Campus, Sri Lanka.

6. Women Participaction in the workforce
1. Only 52.6 percent of working-age women are involved in the workforce
in all sectors
2. Male-dominated sectors (industries and occupations). The women make
up less than 25% of job incumbents
3. The transportation industry is largely handled by men. Women make up
only 23 percent of employees in the transport, storage, and
communication sector
4. There are disparities in gender representation at all levels of the
profession
5. The women have limited access to rights and assets
(EIGE, 2020). In a broader sense, (U.S. Department of Labor, 2017).

7. Today’s discussion points
1. Introduction
2. Retrospect and Key take aways from the work done
3. Knowledge into practice
4. Policies and Way Forward

8. White paper: 169 pages
Working paper: 112 pages Handbook: 39 pages

9. 1. WORKING
PAPER

10. 1.1 Goal: Eradication of discrimination against women towards
sustainable development.
This study
reveals ten
common
challenges
that create
barriers for
female
participation
10
1. Gender stereotypes, family structure, and time endowment for responsibilities
2. Skills and Education
3. Financial Literacy and Financial access and Capital Constrain
4. Networks and Social Capital related issues
5. Female Voice, Management Representation and Gender pay gap
6. Culture and Gender Norms
7. Safety and Mobility issues
8. Family Income Shocks
9. Labor Demand in macroeconomic and institutional perspectives
10. Violence, Discrimination at Workplace related issues

11. 1.2 National experience from Sri Lanka
11
1
Childcare and
eldercare
related
barriers
2
Lack of
information
on career
prospects and
industry
opportunities
3
Inadequate
career and
professional
development
and guidance
4
Lack of
female
personality,
self-esteem,
and self-
confidence to
accept
industry
opportunities
5
Family work
life balancing
related issues,
6
Male centric
decision-
making style
7
Performance
management
culture

12. 1.3 Crucial areas for integrated policy recommendations
12
1. Feminine career promotion and employer branding
2. Training and development
3. Networking and social capital development
4. Work-family balancing
5. Diversity and female voice at work
6. Performance and culture development
7. Safety and protection

13. 13
2. WHITE
PAPER

14. 2.1 Benchmarking
Objective:
To identify good practices in enhancing women’s participation in the
UNESCAP member states and develop realistic guidelines for policy making.
14
• The decision to participate in paid work
• This depends on women’s personal preferences
• Preferences are heavily influenced by
• socio-economic contextual factors
• The country wise and/or region wise similarities
and differences are crucial
Demand Supply
• The demand for female labour
on the Logistics and Transport
Industry
• This depends on the value that
women can/will add

15. 2.2 The UNESCAP region Key challenges
15
Demographics : The
ageing population in the
women workforce
Negative image : The
male-dominated bastion
Career advancement:
The lack of room for
career advancement
Lack of interest in
entering the sector: The
inequality of wages,
incentives, and
compensation packages
Lack of coordination:
Public Private, People
Partnership

16. 2.3 Directions to policy makers
1. Offer flexible and remote working
2. Encourage managers to focus on productivity rather than hours
3. Encourage breaks
4. Regularly review workloads
5. Lead by example
6. Give employees time to volunteer
7. Reconsider time off
8. Increase support for parents
9. Offer health cash plans
10. Acknowledge every employee is different
16

17. 2.4 Integrated Policy Prospects
1. Policy formulations should be in line with concerns and considerations of all the
stakeholders.
2. The key areas to address the gender gap in the logistics and transportation sector.
a) Career Prospects and Constraints
Enhancement of information and access to information regarding career
prospects and avoid the loss of opportunities for women (3)
b) Training and Development
Development of knowledge, skills, and competencies of females in the industry and
productive mentorship (5)
c) Networking and Social Capital Development
Establish confidence about career prospects and social wellbeing and build motivation
(3)
d) Work Family Balancing
Formulate a systematic approach/process to avoid disruption in career paths of women workforce
(10)
17

18. 2.4 Integrated Policy Prospects
e) Diversity and Female Voice at Work
Gradual transformation of current male dominant and masculine industry perception (5)
f) Performance and Culture Development
Create conducive, fair, and transparent performance evaluation process that encourage
long stay of prospective women workforce (6)
g) Safety and Protection
Ensure ethical work behavior and gender unbiased working culture and reiterate
antiharassment (7)
h) Implement an Integrated and Collaborative Approach to Close Data Gaps (5)
i) Increase Stakeholder Engagement Beyond the Transport Sector (6)
j) Align International Standards with Complementary National Policies
Review and reforms of national labour laws, education, and media, availability, and access to data (5)
k) Involve women in decision-making (3)
18

19. 2.5 DISTRIBUTION
OF POTENTIAL
GUIDELINES
AMONG 15 KEY
CATEGORIES
The authorities in
respective countries
should carefully
evaluate the
applicability and
compatibility of the
231 directives/actions
categorized under 15
critical areas
Category No of actions
Office & Infrastructure 37
Statutory 23
Rights of women 20
Training & Education 18
Recruiting and retaining 17
Capacity building 15
Funding 14
Leadership 14
Access 12
Awareness 12
Breadwinner & Economic 12
Child & adult care 10
Networking 10
Political 9
Action & Strategic plan 8

20. THE SHIFT DEMANDED FOR WOMEN FAVOURED
FREIGHT TRANSPORT INDUSTRY

21. Today’s discussion points
1. Introduction
2. Retrospect and Key take aways from the work done
3. Knowledge into practice
4. Policies and Way Forward

22. 22
3. HANDBOOK

23. 3.1 Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming in the Freight
Transport Sector - ESCAP Region
Purpose
Advocating social inclusiveness of women through national level policy
recommendations to enhance female participation in the transport sector
through incentivizing them in a sustainable manner.
Approach
Comprehensive desk
research covering 45
countries
An opinion survey
consisted of 15
stakeholders
Recommendations on
policy considerations
and best practices
UNESCAP 23

24. 3.2 Six stages of challenges of employing women in
transport jobs
Turnbull (2013) generic framework (Modified version by author)
Turnbull, P., Lear , J., & Thomas, H. (2013). Women in the Transport Sector. Retrieved from ILO: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp
5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---sector/documents/briefingnote/wcms_234882.pdf

25. 3.3 National level best practices
1. Countries try to overcome these challenges by implementing various
strategies leading to good practices.
2. Governments have introduced policies to strengthen these practices.
3. Common approaches in other employment sectors may not
necessarily be suitable to the employments in freight transport sector.
4. Best practices adopted in a country (Even in LTS) may not necessarily
be good for all countries.
5. Approaches should be tailor made based on the social, legal,
economic, political, and technological (SLEPT) factors of a country.
UNESCAP 25
Best practices should be evaluated with an open mind as to determine its
relevance and/or applicability in another country

26. Today’s discussion points
1. Introduction
2. Retrospect and Key take aways from the work done
3. Knowledge into practice
4. Policies and Way Forward

27. WOMEN’S EMPOWEMENT PLAN
Face - to – face
training
facilitation and
coaching
E - learning
and online
facilitation
Training - of –
Trainers Courses
Digital
Solutions
Advocacy
Source: Women's Empowerment | UNITAR (2020)

28. Focus for Integrated National Policies
1. Industry Oriented Education, Higher Education Policy
2. National Policy for Women Skills and Entrepreneurship Development
3. National Policy to Eliminate the Gender Pay Gaps and Wage
Discrimination
4. Labor and Social Protection Policies
5. Strengthen Gender Equality Conventions, and other Legislations
6. Human Capital Development and Executive Development Policy
7. Domestic Violence, Discrimination and Harassment Policy (Zero
Tolerance Policy )
8. Establish Corporate Grievance Handling Policy
28

29. 4.1 Policy recommendations to governments
Legal obstacles Sexual harassments Father engagement Child-care
facilities
Subsidies for day
care
Tax benefits for
child & adult care
Maternal & Parental
leave
Aged care centers Innovative
child/adult care
methods
Shorter working
sessions
Leadership roles in
academia
Capacity building for
livelihood support
Enactments on
flexible working
terms
Mapping
household duties
against
employment
Legislation on wage
setting
Enactments on pre
and post pregnancy
needs
Incentives to
companies for
female centered
innovations
Safety features
focusing women
Ensure equity for
women centered
economy
Protection against
violence and
trafficking
Assistance to
women
entrepreneurs
Women inclusive
resource pool
Combine
government and
society for policy
framing
Leadership to
joint awareness
program
Tax concessions to
action against
gender gap
Facilitate women
focused basic needs
International
accepted women
friendly working
culture
Professional
pathway for
women combining
government and
private
Supportive
infrastructure for
women
entrepreneurs
Create Public,
private, people
partnership (PPPP)
Incentives to foreign
investors for
promoting women
Recognize economic
and social
contribution of
women
entrepreneurs
Legal framework to
empower balanced
labor market
Preventive
measures to
gender violence
Ensure women
inclusive framework
in human rights
applications
Ensure quality
education
Women inclusive
education vertical
integration (EVI)
Increase
opportunities to
women through
capacity building
Forming a
leadership advocacy
group (LAG) for LTS
Promote women
centered
enterprises in rural
areas
Form strategic focal
point (SFP) to
address women's
issues
Build women
inclusive community
through
collaboration
Government led
human resource
capacity
development plan
(HRCD)
Government
funded research
incubator for
young women
Financing package
for women
entrepreneurs
Maritime training
and safe shipping
for women
Use women’s
inherent
characteristics to
strengthen LTS
National women
participatory policy
(NWPP)
Appraise business
culture and explore
opportunities to
women
Developing a
national gender
policy matrix
(NGPM)
Free access to
training and advice
for women
Counselling and
enhanced financial
benefits to women
employees
Solid complaint
handling
mechanism against
discrimination
Education and
health to women
at affordable cost
Protect women
from gender-based
violence and
biasness
Establishment of
national legislative
body amalgamating
all stakeholders in
LTS
Facilitate society
with gender-based
statistics for self-
awareness and
focused decisions
Access to
convenient
travelling for
women in all
modes of transport
Published database
of all women in LTS
to enhance visibility
Use technology to
increase job
opportunities for
women
Create an
internationally
accepted gender
equity law (GEL)
focusing LTS
Establish gender
inclusiveness as an
integral part of
sustainable
transport system
Improve women’s
resilience to any
gender gaps
through a national
legal framework
Ensure
compliance to
gender-based
rules through
legal action for
those who violate
law
Encourage methods
to hire, retain and
career comeback
initiatives to women
in LTS
Facilitate women to
acquire
qualification and
skills in LTS
Establish gender
equal employment
rules
UNESCAP

30. 4.2 Recommendations to employers
Promote
leadership
and Decision-
making roles
Quota system Discrimination
in hiring
process
Childcare for
training
attendees
Networking
and policy
consultation
Care for
pregnant
women and
mothers
Day care in
office
premises
Capacity
building and
rewarding
Eliminate
harassment
through
Perspiratory
approach
Policies to
retain the
women
leaders
Use of
innovative
management
tools
Flexible
working
arrangements
Comfortable
working
environment
for women
Research and
development
Training and
technical
support at
micro level
Promote
female voice
in
investment
decisions
Explicit
provisions
in the
corporate
budget to
address
gender gaps
Implement
skill
development
projects
aimed at
women
Financial and
technical
assistance for
entrepreneurial
leadership
Employer
sponsored
external
childcare
Encourage
women
participation
in resolving
corporate
level
problems
Reduce
participation
gap between
men and
women
Eliminate
sexual
harassment
and bullying at
organizational
level
Convert
traditionally
male
dominated
fields to suit
for women as
well
Enhance
virtual work
environment
and increase
quality and
quantity of
remote jobs
Finding new
ways at
company
level to help
reduce
women’s
caregiving
jobs
Establish
women
friendly
diversity
policies
and made
them
explicit
Enhance skills
for work life
balance
through
exclusive
training
programs
UNESCAP 30

31. 4.3 Recommendations to industry associations ,individuals, and other stake holders
Create a
paradigm shift
to citing women
as “home
persons”
Establish
gender
equality
promotion
office (GEPO)
Appointing
diversity
officers in
educational
institutes
Promote
qualified
young
women as
faculty staff
in
universities
Research and
publication
about best
practices
Change the
belief that
“women
can’t do it”
Establish
family
support
centres (FSC)
Innovative
and
welcoming
recruitment
approaches
Facilitate timely
information
helping women
recruitment
Promote
awareness
programs
that
encourage
women
participation
in marine
sector
Help
governments to
make
comprehensive
changes in the
education
system
incorporating
LTS
Promote
networking
opportunities
for women
employees
Collaborate
with
governments
to take
evidence-
based
decisions
Establish a
secure
location as a
drop-in
centre for
women in
LTS to share
their issues
Promote
women
ambassadors
Provide
social
awareness
about the
huge
potential
for women
in LTS
Free access
to
employment
counselling
mechanism
Networking
opportunity
with industry
leaders
Economic and
social
empowerment
of women
through
community-
based projects
Identify
women icons
in different
operational
areas in LTS
Awareness
programs aimed
at children
about
combating
gender gap
Use popular
icons to give
social
awareness
about
workplace
respect for
women
Empower
women to
sustain self
confidence and
act against
discrimination
Public
awareness
and media
attention to
the immense
contribution
by existing
women
workforce in
UNESCAP 31

32. Summary
1. Introduction
2. Retrospect and Key take
aways from the work done
3. Knowledge into practice
4. Policies and Way Forward
Handbook
Working Paper and White Paper

33. Prof. (Dr.) Lalith Edirisinghe
CINEC Campus
www.cinec.edu
Sri Lanka
Téléphone : +94777562505
Email: edirisinghe@cinec.edu
Web site: https://professorlalithedirisinghe.lk/