Gendered politics in rural roads: gender mainstreaming in Tanzania's transport sector

Mulongo, Godfrey; Porter, Gina; Tewodros, Amleset

Abstract

This paper explores the impacts of gender mainstreaming initiatives in Tanzania's transport sector on the everyday reality of rural women's lives, including those facing multiple forms of discrimination. Using qualitative methods, including co-investigation with community members, data were triangulated from diverse sources: vulnerable women and other residents in two Tanzanian districts, road contractors, professionals engaged in supporting the country's transport programmes and staff in donor agencies. The results indicate that progress in mainstreaming has been slow. Despite government directives, few women have benefitted from employment in road construction except through two national programmes: the Village Travel and Transport Programme and the Tanzania Social Action Fund. However, most women, particularly those disadvantaged, derive benefit from road improvement, even if only as pedestrians or wheelchair users taking advantage of a smoother surface, or better travel security when vegetation is cut back. For women with the funds and independence to access the expanded transport services that tend to follow road improvements, there can be significant benefits – faster travel, improved access to farms and markets and sometimes lower transport costs. Nevertheless, women's constrained resources and prevailing cultural mores continue to militate against them directly operating transport, whether for personal or business use.

Citation

Mulongo, G., Porter, G., & Tewodros, A. (2019). Gendered politics in rural roads: gender mainstreaming in Tanzania's transport sector. Transport, 173(2), 87-96. https://doi.org/10.1680/jtran.18.00153

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 26, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Apr 13, 2019
• Publication Date: Apr 30, 2019
• Deposit Date: Mar 25, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 25, 2020
• Journal: Proceedings of the ICE - Transport
• Print ISSN: 0965-092X
• Electronic ISSN: 1751-7710
• Publisher: ICE Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 173
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 87-96
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1680/jtran.18.00153
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1305441