Women Can Drive The Rail Sector Forward
By Nnoni Mokgethi, Traxtion Brand, Communications and Marketing Manager
Talk to people about working in the rail industry and they assume that you are either a mechanic or a train driver. There is also the perception that it is a “male” industry. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The rail industry offers a wide variety of career opportunities, all suitable to women and men. The sad reality, however, is that rail is one of the most gender-equal industries in the world.
In Africa, only 10% of the rail workforce is female. In South Africa, 83,3% of the transport workforce is male. Globally, only 2% of women in the rail industry are engineers.
And we want to change this, starting with our own company. We have noted the gender disparities in our sector, and we believe the industry needs to be intentional about correcting gender imbalances in its workforce and actively campaign to bring about change.
An audit of Traxtion’s employees, conducted in 2023, revealed that only 18% of our workforce is female, of the 18% only 14 women are in technical roles, and we have only one female Diesel Electrical Fitter across all operations.
With this information as motivation, we launched a campaign titled ‘The Future Of Rail Is Woman’ in 2023. The campaign seeks to address the gender disparities within the sector, propel more women into rail careers and create an environment that fosters inclusivity and diversity.
But we cannot do it alone. The entire job market needs to promote the inclusion of women in all sectors. And we need to do it consistently.
It is not just about bringing more women into the workplace but the clear correlation between gender inclusivity and profitability. Employing more women is good for business.
Research by McKinsey & Company shows that gender-diverse companies are 21% more likely to show above-average profitability. Actively setting out to employ more women improves a company’s reputation, fosters enhanced collaboration, and widens the talent pool.
Perhaps the greatest motivator for getting more women into the workplace is economic prosperity. When women are employed, economies grow. The World Bank reports that countries can gain as much as a 20% increase in GDP per capita and a 14% increase in wealth on average if there was gender and salary parity in the workforce. This alone is a compelling argument for our industry to drive and change the narrative around female employment.
By actively engaging and promoting the voices of women, the rail sector can become a catalyst for change, not only within the industry itself but also in society at large.
We are on the verge of a rail boom in South Africa. The government has committed to opening the rail network to private operators and this will create thousands of job opportunities. By exposing women to the diverse career opportunities in rail and transport, more of these positions can be filled by women – benefitting not only our companies but also our country’s economic prospects.
If you are a business interested in getting involved in the campaign, get in touch with Traxtion. info@traxtion.co.za for attention: Nnoni Mokgethi, Brand, Communications and Marketing Manager.
Look out for our monthly column in Railways Africa where you can hear from the women shaking up – and transforming – the rail industry.
