Women represent about one fifth of transport workers. Which EU country has the highest share in this sector?

The highest percentage of women in the logistics industry in the European Union was recorded in Cyprus – 31%, the lowest in Luxembourg, where women in transport account for only 12%. According to Eurostat’s “Labor Force Survey” of 2015, the majority of women work in this typically male industry in Cyprus, France, and the Czech Republic, while the lowest in Luxembourg, Greece, and Slovenia.

Are women an answer to the lack of drivers?

At the end of last year, a European Platform for Change was established in Brussels. This platform aims at gender equality in transport and will initially focus on increasing the employability of women in this sector. We are talking about all types of transport, including road transport.

According to the European Economic and Social Committee, attracting more women to the transport sector is the key to its balance. It will also make it more user-friendly, as well as address the labor shortages and other challenges (one-third of all transport workers are over 50 years old).

To encourage ladies to work in transport, the European Commission is planning a series of activities (support for transnational and grassroots projects to combat stereotypes and segregation in education and training, and the labor market initiatives related to the regular exchange of best practices between enterprises to eliminate gender segregation).

Whether Brussels initiatives are enough or encourage women to work in such a difficult industry, remains uncertain. This year, a study on business assessment of the growth of women’s employment in the transport sector will be conducted and published.