Jon Halling’s scientific contributions

This report summarises the research project, Implementation of a Method for Gender Equality Impact Assessment in Swedish Transport Planning that began in 2013. The aim of the project was to develop and test the model for Gender Equality Impact Assessment as proposed in the report Gender Equality in Traffic Planning. Principally the focus was on the Swedish national gender equality objectives of economic equality and the equal distribution of unpaid housework and provision of care. The project also aimed to identify the need for development of knowledge (of gender equality) and to develop an undergraduate training course for professionals in transportation planning. The departure of the project was taken in the objectives of gender equality in transport and the national gender equality objectives. Especially, the focus was on the gender equality objectives of economic equality and the equal distribution of unpaid housework and provision of care because these goals were proved particularly difficult to tweak in transport planning. Previous research shows that the objectives of economic equality and equal distribution of unpaid housework and provision of care, can be best addressed in the early stages of planning and that these goals are very important on a comprehensive stage in the planning process. For example, how places of work, education and livelihood are tied together with places for accommodation and other activities in people’s everyday lives. This means, for example, investments in regional commuter routes and that transportation will be integrated into regional development goals and the work to strengthen citizens’ access to new labour market regions (functional regional expansion). The research project was organised into five work packages, where researchers and planners collaborated. Initially the researchers analysed how gender came into account in the last two regional transport plans, and in focus groups and workshops with planners discussed their viewpoints on gender equality in the regional transportation planning. The result of the analysis of the collaboration with the transport planners showed that they generally lack access to professionalised knowledge and skills to independently start development projects on gender equality. Examples of difficulties regarding the testing and further development of the JKB-model, focused in part on lack of competence on how to transform data on gender equality into operational skills. The main barrier to actively work with gender mainstreaming, according to the planners, is the lack of clear guidelines and directives for the regional transport plans.