Fear shouldn’t shape women’s journeys. Here’s how transport can harness technology to change that

 
In the week up to International Women’s Day, Kuba wants your opinions on how mobility can give more, so women can gain more

 
BY Catherine Goddard, Kuba

On the pitch, Harlequins Women play fearless rugby. Off the pitch, like millions of women and girls across the UK, they plan their journeys carefully. They do what it takes to feel confident and safe – travelling by whichever transport mode or route they feel they can trust.

Kuba has partnered with Harlequins Women to lend their voices to its Mind the Gender Gap International Women’s Day 2026 campaign. Drawing attention to the need to make safe, independent mobility an equal right for everyone, the campaign asks a simple question: Why does fear still shape women’s journeys – and what is transport going to do about it?

The IWD theme this year, Give to Gain, prompts us all to look inward and ask what we can do to actively support women and girls to get ahead in their lives. Mind the Gender Gap with Kuba and Harlequins is a simple idea and call-to-action – to take steps to ensure mobility unlocks opportunities, and that women and girls access these opportunities equally.

Transport isn’t neutral

For decades, transport networks have been designed around a particular kind of journey: peak-hour commuter trips. Planning assumptions were shaped around a passenger profile whose linear journeys were predictable: home to work and back again.

But modern life is more complex. The UK National Travel Survey shows women are more likely to travel off-peak, and international research describes higher levels of “trip chaining” among women, combining work, education, shopping and caring responsibilities within one journey. It’s clear that many women don’t travel in straight lines at the same time every day.

With systems often optimised for typical commuters, this mismatch creates friction – longer waits, clunky connections, and fare products designed for nine-to-five patterns. On top of safety concerns, this friction begins to feel like exclusion for some women.

Fear changes behaviour

The Office for National Statistics reported that more than half (58%) of women aged 16 to 34 feel unsafe using public transport alone after dark. Other academic research into safety in transport environments shows that even perceived vulnerability changes behaviour. Women alter routes, avoid certain stops, leave social events early, or decide not to travel at all.

Fear – or just feeling uneasy – can literally stop women in their tracks. And when that happens, opportunities for jobs, education and social connection start diminishing.

The Office for National Statistics reported that more than half (58%) of women aged 16 to 34 feel unsafe using public transport alone after dark

Regional leaders are acknowledging this. In West Yorkshire, mayor Tracy Brabin has highlighted that perception matters as much as statistics: “Most bus journeys are completed in safety… but that doesn’t mean people feel safe while waiting or making their journey. I want people to tell us where we can do more to help women and girls feel safer.”

There is a growing understanding that, not just safety, but also gut-level trust, is what’s needed to bridge the gender gap in mobility networks, creating a freedom of movement that’s felt by everyone equally. Technology can step up to be part of the solution, boosting confidence by making journeys easier to plan, smooth-running and more affordable.

Give to gain: what transport must give

From purely a technology perspective, mobility systems need to give three things:

1. Predictability. Unreliable services mean longer, uncertain waits – often in places where women report feeling unsafe. When delays stretch out, anxiety rises. Reliable services don’t just improve performance metrics; they reduce exposure time and build confidence.

2. Visibility. Real-time passenger information can reduce perceived waiting time by up to 30%. Clear, live updates mean women feel less “stuck” and more in control. They can time their arrival, see what vehicles are coming and make informed choices.

3. Flexibility. Account-based ticketing (ABT) enables pay-as-you-go travel and automatic fare capping, removing guesswork from multi-stage or irregular trips. By shifting fare logic into the back office, ABT simplifies the passenger experience, supports more inclusive pricing and gives authorities better data to plan around how people actually travel.

Closing the gender gap on public transport will be about making design and technology choices that build trust.

Voices from the pitch

Harlequins Women know what confidence looks like. Their support for Mind the Gender Gap reflects something they believe in strongly: that courage on the pitch shouldn’t be cancelled out by caution in other areas of their lives. Strong women deserve cities and transport systems designed for them.

Jade Konkel, club captain of Harlequins Women comments: “When women feel safe travelling, they can live life to the full. Mind the Gender Gap is about asserting their right to get where they want to be – whether that’s to attend games, train late, work confidently, or lead fully. We support our official club partner Kuba in this initiative to highlight the simple ways we can start to design the public transport that women deserve.”

CHECK OUT THE CAMPAIGN

In the week up to International Women’s Day, Kuba wants your opinions on how mobility can give more, so women can gain more:

LinkedIn: @kubapay
Instagram and TikTok: @poweredbykuba
#GivetoGain #IWD2026 #mindthegendergap

 
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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