How do you think the reforms in public transport in India effect women?

A recent decision by the Delhi government to make public transport absolutely free for women. The decision has led to many debates which show the ways in which women access public transport and the hurdles they face. As per the 2011 Census, 45% women do not travel for work which means they only work from home. This is precisely the reason why India has the most skewed ratio of male versus female commuting in the world. The data has been collected based on commuting patterns of people who are not employed in household industries or agriculture. Women have been found to use walking as the most common medium of transport or buses. This is also because very few women own any kind of assets due to insufficient finances. Another notable fact is that women travel shorter distances to work than men as they are the major caregivers for children in the family. This is the reason they are forced to take up jobs which are much less than their skills or with employers who pay well. Buses alternately form the major way of commuting for women even in bigger cities. The Delhi experiment will thus bring more women in the realm of public transport and open better employment opportunities for them.

Topics: GS-I: Role of Women and Women's Organization