November 2021 - 13

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Moving Diversity in Transit
Forward: Three Areas of Focus
Transit offers an opportunity to be the blueprint for what's possible to achieve equity.
W
Bonnie Crawford
vice president and general
manager, Umo Mobility,
a division of Cubic
Corporation
The future of
transportation
depends on all
stakeholders
being present
for the
conversation.
OMEN MAKE UP HALF OF THE U.S.
population, but only 15 percent of
transportation occupations are held by
females. I am part of that percentage and
I see this gender gap most visibly when I attend
industry conferences. My suggestion for
my peers is to be more thoughtful on how to
move diversity issues forward by reflecting the
diversity we see in our communities.
Recruit and support women
to diversify your workforce
First, we must recognize that women's and
men's lived experiences in the workplace may
be different. There's a different perspective on
one's ability to rise through the ranks. When
I began my career in corporate America, I was
an executive assistant with no MBA and no
clear path to an executive role. I took a winding
road into my current position and have a
deep appreciation for those who understand
the difficulty of that kind of journey
According to the U.S. Labor Department,
between February 2020 and March 2021, approximately
1.1 million women between the
ages of 25 and 54 exited the workforce, compared
with 830,000 men in that age group. A
McKinsey Women in the Workplace report also
revealed that one in four working women in
North America said that they were considering
downshifting their careers or quitting entirely.
For working mothers, particularly those with
young children, the number was one in three.
It is time to change the myth that working
mothers are less committed because they have
the dual role as caregivers and professionals. Invest
in recruiting women and formalize discussions
about career management and progression.
Managers should nurture and mentor people of
all genders on how to obtain senior leadership
positions while balancing work and family.
Increase representation at
transit industry events
Secondly, give women the mic to share their
knowledge. Instead of stacking a conference
panel with senior leaders, the transportation
industry would benefit by leveraging talented
women who often hold subject matter expert
roles at various levels. Operators and product
specialists have a perspective and proximity to
the customer base that's incredibly valuable.
Another way to add more breadth is to
allow for open forums and to ditch scripted
Q&A portions. The current conference
structure enables leaders to recount stories
from their team but without their teams being
present. By gathering a broad cross section of
people, the entire industry will benefit from
their shared experiences.
From the inside looking
out - helping customers by
making tech more inclusive
Lastly, the industry must take measures to
make tech accessible to all. Most sectors have
accelerated contactless payments for any smartphone-equipped
consumer. However, 40 percent
of transit riders in North America are unbanked
or underbanked. On top of that, about 55 percent
of Americans don't have a mobile phone with an
unlimited data plan.
Missing out on these key data points places
an undue burden on riders. To manage this
risk, transportation firms and agencies can
take a holistic approach to any implementation
and infrastructure plans to ensure inclusivity.
If not, we will inadvertently damage
ridership and hinder those who are most
dependent on transit.
Mobility is a need shared by everyone around
the world. The future of transportation depends
on all stakeholders being present for the conversation.
The path forward will only be complete
once we acknowledge our shortcomings,
pinpoint the most vulnerable populations and
build bridges to close gaps. Let's make transit the
model to illustrate what is possible by creating a
blueprint for women and our diverse customer
base to achieve equity.
NOVEMBER 2021 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 13
]
http://www.MassTransitmag.com
November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2021
