Promotion of gender inclusion and diversity
PIARC decided in November 2022 to make gender inclusion and diversity a value of the organisation and adopted a Gender inclusion and diversity strategy.
Why?
Transport, including roads, is not gender neutral. In many societies, women’s and men’s travel patterns and needs differ, mainly as a consequence of different conditions in everyday life and different values and priorities. Repeated research suggests that in general women may prioritize issues of personal protection and wellness in the transport system (such as safety, security, comfort, courteousness, and hygiene) whereas men may be more concerned about issues like faster travel times, often at the expense of service or personal security. Yet roads policy and strategy are often gender blind and fail to recognize the needs and priorities of all users.
The different values, needs and priorities of different groups should be reflected in transport and road infrastructure planning, design, maintenance, and construction.
In addition to differences in travel needs and behavior, women are not well-represented in the road transport sector workforce. For example, in 2018 women represented less than 20% of the global transport workforce.
PIARC is no exception, the status across the whole association is unbalanced when it comes to gender. From membership in the Council and the Executive Committee to Commissions, Technical Committees and Task Forces, the gender composition of the members and the leadership is not yet balanced.
For PIARC’s work to remain relevant and be effective, gender inclusion and diversity must be at its heart. This can only be achieved if PIARC representatives at all levels are diverse, and all members are able to contribute fully.
This is why PIARC’s Council decided to make gender inclusion and diversity a value of the organisation.
Promotion of gender inclusion and diversity strategy
A Promotion of gender inclusion and diversity team (PGIDT) was set up at the level of the Executive Committee.
It prepared a strategy which includes three strategic priorities under which several objectives and actions are identified.
- Raise awareness of PIARC members and road and road transport community related to gender inclusion and diversity.
- Create an inclusive culture in PIARC
- PIARC technical reports and products should reflect the diversity of road transport users.
Promotion of gender inclusion and diversity team (PGIDT)
The PGIDT was created in 2021 and assigned as a permanent group to the Executive committee. The team consists of members from Italy, United Kingdom, Austria, USA, South Africa, Sweden and Paraguay, coordinated by the General Secretariat. A Technical Advisor has supported the team since September 2021.
The objective of the team is to implement the strategy that was adopted by the Council in November 2022.
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Team members
Chair: Emanuela Stocchi
Director of international affairs at AISCAT - Associazione Italiana Società Concessionarie Autostrade e Trafori, Italy
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Vice Chair: Sue Percy
Chief Executive at CIHT- Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation, United Kingdom
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Lori Porreca
International Program Manager at FHWA- Federal Highway Administration, USA
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Lina Granlund
Senior Project Leader for Transport Planning Studies - Swedish Transport Administration, Sweden
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Reingard Vogel
Head of Department at ASFINAG BMG, Austria
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Imen Makhlouf
Senior Civil Engineer, Transport Infrastructure Expert, Tunisia
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Patricia Sanz Lázaro
Head of International Affairs at the General Directorate of Roads of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Spain
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Andrea Peris
Communications coordinator at the Paraguayan Road Association, Paraguay
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Patrick Malléjacq
Secretary General at PIARC World Road Association, France
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With support from
Justin Ward
Head of Policy and Technical Practice at CIHT- Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation, United Kingdom
Resources
Here are some of the resources that are available regarding gender inclusion and diversity:
- Workshop on Gender Equality in the road sector, 21 March 2024 in Madrid (Spain)
- XXVIIth World Road Congress: Foresight Session 11 - A Gender Inclusive Transport system
- Issue N° 397 of Routes/Roads Magazine: Women Paving the Way
- On International Womens Day 2023, Emanuela Stocchi, Chair of the PIARC team promoting gender inclusion & diversity in the road & transport industry gives us insight on the importance of this day
- Webinar Gender inclusion in the transport sector - PIARC Seminar - 7 June 2022
- Inclusion of Women in Non-Traditional Jobs within the Scope of Rural Road Improvement Work - Experience in Paraguay (Routes/Roads Magazine N° 395)
- Technical report of Technical Committee 1.1 - Diversity and Talent Management in Transport Administrations – The Road to Success?
- Technical report of Technical Committee 1.1 - It´s All About People – Defining and Promoting Diversity and New Talent Management
- Webinar - The Impact of Covid-19 on Women In Transport - 15 May 2020
- Foresight sessions and workshops: approaches with various themes at the XXVI World Road Congress
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