KWDI Korean Women’s Development Institute

The gender budgeting refers to a system which reflects in budget process suggestions for improvements developed through analysis and assessment of policies from a gender perspective even when the policies seem unrelated to gender inequality. To do so, it is important to recognize differences in desire and policy demands between men and women, and to reflect these differences in policy improvement and budget. Capturing the desire to travel, which is fundamental and essential in human life, this study aims at using a gender approach to analyze and evaluate policies for the promotion of convenience for the mobility handicapped. Towards this end, this study conducted focused group interviews and questionnaire survey of people with disabilities and the aged, analyzed the gender differences in desire and policy demands for policies on the promotion of convenience for the mobility handicapped, and attempted to develop a policy agenda for gender-sensitive improvements. Based on survey results, this study presented a gender-sensitive policy agenda in three areas and suggested improvements from a gender perspective. The three areas are 1) gender differences in behavior when using public transportation, 2) gender differences due to women's social vulnerability, and 3) gender differences arising from women-specific desires and social roles.

1) From the aspect of behavior for using public transportation, disabled women use buses or taxis more frequently but have less ability than men to perceive traffic information. Particularly, aged women have relatively low abilities to perceive traffic information, so that they tend to need more assistance from others when using subways and buses. Considering these differences, it is necessary to take measures to improve the environment for bus users and provide support for securing taxies for the disabled. It is also necessary to expand guide services qualitatively and quantitatively for aged women and disabled persons who lack the ability to understand information about using public transportation or who have limited ability to use public transit systems.

2) Women are more vulnerable for risks of income, health, and violence as compared to men, which act as factors restricting their mobility. The survey showed that women felt more burdened by transportation costs than men; aged women had more difficulty going up and down the stairs of subways and buses because they suffer more from diseases which directly restrict their mobility than do men. It was also found that women with disabilities had more unpleasant experiences or humiliation than men, due to prejudices of transportation service providers, when using special means of transportation such as taxies or call taxies for the disabled. Given these differences, the government should introduce a system to discount or exempt bus fares for mobility-handicapped people, install more elevators in subway stations and introduce more low-floor buses. It should also be mandatory for public transit service providers to educate their employees about providing quality services for the disabled, giving opportunities for disabled people to educate employees directly. Women with disabilities should be able to participate in this employee education.

3) Gender differences arising from women-specific desires and social roles were found in cases of sexual harassment or violence against women with disabilities and difficulties of disabled parents when traveling with their children. In particular, disabled women experienced various types of sexual harassment or violence while travelling in closed narrow spaces with taxi drivers or drivers for special transportation services. Realistically, since women take care of young children more frequently, disabled women travel with their children more often than do men. As they have lower abilities to drive cars than do men, they tend to use public transportation more than driving when accompanied by their children and in this process they experience many difficulties. To improve this situation, the government should guarantee an environment where women with disabilities can travel safely, free from various dangers including sexual violence through education of employees engaged in public transportation, stricter punishment of violators, and protection of victims. It should support disabled parents accompanied by children when using call taxies for the disabled regardless of eligibilities.