Driving Change: Boosting Women in Nepal Transport Sector with World Bank Support

Women in Nepal Transport

28th October 2025, Kathmandu

The transport sector in Nepal, a cornerstone of economic development, currently faces a severe gender disparity.

Women in Nepal Transport

A staggering statistic reveals that only 3.5% of the total people employed in the transport, storage, and communications sector are women.

This minimal female labor force participation rate presents a significant barrier to achieving inclusive economic growth and social equity. Addressing this imbalance is critical.

The International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group’s largest source of financing for Nepal’s transport sector, is actively stepping in.

They are designing and implementing targeted projects to boost the employment and leadership of Women in Nepal Transport Sector. This strategic intervention seeks to unlock a vast, untapped talent pool and redefine gender roles within the industry.

The Stark Reality of Gender Disparity

The extremely low representation of women in Nepal’s transport sector is a complex issue rooted in deep-seated social norms, safety concerns, and lack of formal opportunities.

Traditional gender perceptions often categorize roles such as driving heavy equipment, engineering, and maintenance as exclusively male domains.

This bias restricts women’s access to formal, high-value employment within the sector. Furthermore, the informal nature of many transport-related jobs frequently means women work without contracts, lacking equal pay and essential social protection services.

This current scenario not only limits women’s economic empowerment but also deprives the sector of diverse perspectives and efficiency gains.

IDA’s Role as a Catalyst for Inclusion

As the principal financier in Nepal’s transport infrastructure, the World Bank’s IDA possesses a powerful platform to enforce transformative change.

IDA-funded projects are now designed with explicit mandates for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). This moves beyond simply providing infrastructure; it involves intentionally reshaping the workforce.

This approach ensures that funding translates into tangible opportunities for women, particularly those from marginalized communities.

Strategic Interventions for Empowerment

The IDA’s strategy focuses on dismantling both structural and cultural barriers to female participation. This comprehensive approach is being woven into the fabric of transport projects, particularly rural road construction and maintenance.

Targeted Employment Generation: IDA projects actively prioritize the recruitment of women for road maintenance and construction groups.

In several road projects, guidelines have been successfully implemented to secure over 70% female employment in certain roles. This effort creates a viable source of income for rural women, many of whom are single mothers or come from vulnerable households.

Skills and Capacity Building: The initiative recognizes that skills are key to securing better roles. Comprehensive training programs are provided to equip women with technical, financial literacy, and leadership skills.

This training empowers women to transition from low-skilled labor to more technical and managerial positions, increasing their earning potential and career longevity within the Nepal Transport Sector.

Safety and Support Infrastructure: The projects ensure safer and more supportive work environments.

This includes provisions for occupational safety and health requirements, which often involve gender-sensitive facilities, special protective gear, and clear protocols to prevent gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH). Safe working conditions are non-negotiable for attracting and retaining women workers.

Financial Inclusion through Digital Banking: To ensure transparency and provide long-term financial stability, women workers are often linked to the formal banking system.

Wages are paid directly into bank accounts, promoting savings and granting access to credit linkages for livelihood enhancement programs. This shift from cash transactions builds financial independence and management skills.

Cultivating Female Leadership

Ultimately, boosting Women in Nepal Transport Sector means cultivating female leaders and decision-makers. IDA-supported projects have shown early successes: women who started as maintenance workers gained confidence and skills, enabling a few to successfully contest and win seats in local elections.

This demonstrates the potential to transform women from road workers into decision-makers who can shape the future of their communities and the sector itself. By creating a more inclusive and equitable transport sector, Nepal can unlock significant economic potential, ensuring that development benefits all citizens equally.

For more: Women in Nepal Transport