May 13, 2023, Riga – The trend of underrepresentation of women in the mobility sector has remained unchanged worldwide for decades. Therefore, the situation in the field of carpooling is also equivalent. The survey carried out by “Bolt” in cooperation with the internet research company GEMIUS shows that only 5% of women in Latvia have considered the possibility of becoming a driver on one of the ride-sharing platforms, thereby denying themselves the opportunity to earn additional means of living in a flexible and simple way. The study also reveals that it is independence, flexibility, as well as the possibility of earning additional income, that are the advantages that women would value the most in the profession of a carpooling driver.
In 2022, the majority of the workforce in the transport sector in all European Union (EU) member states was male, but the average share of the female workforce in the EU was 17%, according to Eurostat data. The unequal distribution of labor can also be observed in the field of carpooling services. The research carried out by “Bolt” in Latvia shows that only 5% of women have considered the possibility of becoming a carpooling service driver, despite the fact that the driving profession in this field can provide women with independent and flexible work, as well as an additional source of income, especially now when the cost of living and the financial burden have increased for everyone. According to the interviewed women, the main reasons that prevent them from wanting to become a carpool driver are safety concerns, low growth opportunities, no driver’s license, as well as stereotypes about women drivers that still exist in society.
“Inequality in carpooling has been particularly pronounced for years. There are many reasons why a large number of women do not consider becoming a driver, one of the most common of which is the prevailing prejudices and outdated stereotypes of women as drivers. In order to promote women’s representation in the mobility industry and make it easier for women to start flexible, independent work not only on Bolt, but also on other ride-sharing service platforms, it is very important that companies in the industry take a leading role in challenging gender stereotypes and help remove other barriers as well. In order to develop the most appropriate support features and more successfully alleviate the barriers that prevent women from becoming drivers, we recognize the challenges faced by women who have never been a driver, and we want to work even more closely with existing Bolt drivers. We are also thinking more about making women feel safe, and we provide various security functions on the platform,” says Kristīne Bezerra-Kjerulfa, manager of “Bolt” in Latvia.
Being independent drivers on the ride-sharing service platform, women can not only plan their working hours and increase their income, but also combine several jobs at the same time, not forgetting about family responsibilities and their hobbies. The results of the research carried out by “Bolt” in Latvia show that, when working as a ride-sharing service driver, women would value the opportunity to combine several jobs at the same time (38%) almost equally as an additional opportunity to earn (39%), in addition, 36% of the surveyed women would value the opportunity to combine work with family responsibilities. Almost equally important, or 35% of the surveyed women, is to combine work with their hobbies, which work on the carpooling platform can provide by planning their own schedule.
In order to break stereotypes and prejudices against women drivers, as well as to promote workforce equality in the mobility industry, “Bolt” has launched the “Women at the wheel” campaign, within the framework of which it will invest 2.5 million euros to provide more opportunities for women to become drivers and help overcome various obstacles , which prevents women from working in the mobility sector. The campaign is implemented in eleven countries: Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Romania, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania and also Latvia.
