Our cities and public transit systems are often built under the assumption that they are gender-neutral. Yet, female workers face severe transit-related barriers that force them to compromise on their health, safety, and earning capacity.

We unpack ground-level evidence from recent studies in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Nepal to examine how deficient infrastructure penalizes women. Experts from the International Labour Organization, Safetipin, and the Azad Foundation discuss why we must move past viewing women as passive beneficiaries of developmental aid and instead empower them as agential stakeholders in municipal decision-making.

• Six out of eight major transport depots surveyed in Delhi completely lacked rest areas for female drivers and conductors.
• Many women deliberately reduce their daily water intake to avoid unhy ...