“The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion.

“When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world.

“And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.

“Collectively, let’s forge a more inclusive world for women.”

(International Women’s Day, 2024)

Women in Transport

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, attention naturally turns to the remarkable contributions of women in traditionally male dominated fields. However, in the United Kingdom, despite women making up over 50% of the population, and the female employment rate being 72.3%, women only account for 26% of transport workers nationally (Women in Transport, 2024).

From bus drivers navigating busy streets, to engineers designing innovative infrastructure, to transport planners utilising data to keep the network running smoothly; the contributions of women are reshaping the landscape of transport worldwide but we of course need to do more to encourage and support women to enter the transport sector.

At Transport North East our role is to develop future transport infrastructure and policy  and secure long-term investment and we are proud to do so with a team which is gender balanced. Taking a deep dive into our team and looking at the numbers we know that:

• 27/49 of our team are women (55%)
• 4/8 of our Senior Team are women including 3 Heads of Department and 1 Assistant Director (50%)

At Transport North East we are committed to provide an inclusive workplace and working environment which is why we:

• Are committed to being an equal opportunities employer
• Offer hybrid working – a balance between home and office working which works for our team
• Allow employees to make use of a flexi time system for hours
• Encourage career progression and training for all employees, including part time and fixed term staff
• Offer parental leave for mothers and fathers above the statutory minimum.

As we mark International Women’s Day and recognise and celebrate the achievements of women in the transport industry, we are also keen to advocate for continued progression towards gender equality in the industry.

Smart Works

We’d like to dedicate this news piece to Smart Works, a UK charity that exists to give women the confidence they need to reach their full potential, secure employment and change the trajectory of their lives.

The women who come to Smart Works are referred from Job Centres, mental health charities, women’s refuges, homeless shelters, the prison service, care service and youth organisations.

Smart Works provide a range of services for clients and each client receives a bespoke dressing consultation with two trained volunteers, to find a beautiful and high-quality interview outfit that will fill her with confidence. This is free of charge and the clothes are hers to keep.

This is followed by a one-to-one coaching session with an expert interview coach, where each client receives valuable interview preparation, unlocking her potential and enabling her to succeed at interview.

69% of clients then secure a job in a month. Once a woman gets the job, she is welcomed back for a Second Dressing and receives a capsule working wardrobe to last until her first pay cheque.

Make a referral to Smart Works (includes centre for those based in Newcastle and surrounding areas) www.smartworks.org.uk/refer/

Women in Transport www.womenintransport.com

International Women’s Day www.internationalwomensday.com