Safety and security of women and girls in public transport

Violence against women and girls is a major public problem globally. This study had conducted to assess women and girls safety and security in public transport and identify factors contributing to violence in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. Data used in the study have been obtained from 199 randomly selected respondents (36.7% women and 63.3% girls), and in addition, 24 focus group discussion members have also participated. Binary Logistic Regression had employed for quantitative data analysis. Data from focus group discussions were analyzed qualitatively using narrative analysis. The types of violence identified were physical, sexual, and psychological. The finding shows that 50.8% of women and girls have experienced more than one type of violence while using public transport. The results indicated that six variables significantly contributed to violence. These variables were age, marital status, type of public transport used, travel time, facilities, and management of public transport services. The result indicates that violence against women and girls in public transport is a serious threat to women’s safety and security to access their mobility in the city. Therefore, cities must focus on developing gender-sensitive public transport service plans and policies that consider women and girls unique needs in public transportation.