Women’s mobility in Pakistan remains deeply constrained, a condition embedded in long-standing patriarchal social structures that regulate women’s presence in public space. For many women, even independent inter-city travel is highly restricted because of unsafe transport systems and gendered norms that associate women’s movement with family “honor” and supervision.

Thus, mobility in Pakistan is not only a logistical issue but also a socio-cultural and structural one. One major factor is that public transport systems are overwhelmingly male-dominated in terms of ownership, regulation, and daily operation. As a result, young girls and women don’t feel safe while travelling.

According to a 2014 report by the Asian Development Bank, approximately 70% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment while using public transport[1]. Survey data further indicate that nearly 30% of female students and about 23% of working women reduced their use of public transport after experiencing harassment[2]. Pakistan’s government has recently introduced several initiatives, for example, in Sindh, the Pink Bus Service was launched to create a safer travel environment exclusively for women.

The Pink Bus is operated entirely by female staff and equipped with enhanced security features, including surveillance systems and emergency alert mechanisms. Many women have welcomed this initiative; however, the scale of the initiative remains insufficient relative to demand.
Karachi alone has a population of nearly 20 million, yet only 19 buses are currently operational.
This disparity highlights a structural limitation: symbolic or small-scale gender-segregated solutions cannot fully resolve systemic mobility deficits. While the Pink Bus addresses immediate safety concerns, infrastructure alone cannot transform the broader gender norms that restrict women’s freedom of movement.

Complementing this initiative, the Sindh Government introduced the “Women on Wheels” program, which provides electric scooters to women to enhance their independent mobility [4]. By enabling women to bypass unsafe public transport systems, the initiative indirectly supports access to employment, education, and entrepreneurship. However, it remains limited to Sindh, and access to scooters does not eliminate broader societal barriers such as road safety concerns, licensing challenges, or potential social backlash against women driving independently.

A similar reform has been implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Peshawar, launched in 2020[5]. The system reserves approximately 25% of its seating capacity for women and incorporates safety measures, including CCTV surveillance, security personnel, and well-lit stations.
Nevertheless, while these policy interventions improve practical access, they primarily address symptoms rather than root causes. Harassment persists not simply because of weak infrastructure but because of inadequate enforcement of legal protections, limited accountability mechanisms, and deeply entrenched gender norms that normalize male dominance in public spaces. Sustainable reform, therefore, requires institutional strengthening, gender-sensitive urban planning, and public awareness campaigns to transform attitudes toward women’s presence in public life.

Addressing women’s mobility in Pakistan requires moving beyond isolated initiatives toward a comprehensive and inclusive strategy. Expanding women-focused transport services, strengthening safety measures across public systems, and ensuring strict legal accountability are essential first steps. At the same time, long-term progress depends on increasing women’s participation in the transport sector, investing in gender-sensitive urban planning, and challenging the social norms that restrict women’s movement.
Without addressing both structural and cultural barriers, mobility will remain uneven and exclusionary. A truly effective approach must therefore integrate infrastructure development with institutional reform and societal mindset change, ensuring that women’s mobility is recognized not as a privilege, but as a fundamental human right.

In conclusion, the future development of Pakistan’s cities depends on ensuring that women can travel freely and safely.

Mobility should be normalized as a component of citizenship rather than a conditional privilege.
The current lack of safe transport places disproportionate burdens on women, frequently compelling them to abandon educational aspirations and employment opportunities. This restriction affects not only individual women but also national development: Pakistan’s economic growth, educational progress, and social advancement are constrained when half of the population cannot fully participate in public life.
Ensuring gender-inclusive mobility is therefore not merely a social welfare objective but also a structural, economic, and democratic imperative. Comprehensive reform must integrate infrastructure expansion, legal accountability, cultural transformation, and long-term institutional commitment.