At the start of this year we started working on a research project to help achieve greater gender diversity in Australia’s rail sector. It’s an important growth sector with record levels of infrastructure investment planned in the next decade. Approximately 70,000 workers are needed to meet the demand.
But how does the sector achieve this? What are the barriers to gender diversity and what are the supportive practices that contribute to more diverse and inclusive workplaces across the sector?
These are the questions addressed in Progressing Gender Equality in the Australasian rail industry, combining inputs from more than 600 people in the sector through a survey, focus groups, interviews and written submissions.
Commissioned by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and National Women in Transport, the report was launched in Sydney on 17 July.
Barriers to gender diversity
The representation of women in the rail sector has increased over the past decade – from 17 per cent in 2014 to 28 per cent in 2023. Through focus groups we heard that women who work in the sector value the sense of purpose in helping people travel safely, the variety and breadth of work, and the increasing diversity of the workforce.
But there are several challenges to attracting more women and gender diverse people and ensuring they can play an equal and valued part in the sector. We’ve shared a few quotes from people in the sector to illustrate the challenges.
- The challenge blind spot
The first challenge is the view held by some workers in the sector that there are no barriers for women, that diversity efforts are wasteful and that they undermine notions of merit-based employment. As some said in the survey:
‘There is no challenge to achieving (diversity and inclusion) other than having people willing to apply and work in rail. There are no barriers.’
‘Prior to all of this PC nonsense of recent years, there was an inclusive, caring rail family.’
This view diminishes the experiences of many women who participated in this research – through the survey and focus groups – for whom exclusionary language and behaviours are part of their everyday reality.
- Perceptions of tokenism
Qualified women face challenges in being perceived as ‘diversity hires’ rather than competent professionals, and that can result in having to prove themselves repeatedly.
‘I feel if I took my name/gender off my CV, my ability & experience wouldn’t be questioned in the same way.’
‘Unconscious bias is a daily constraint. Continuous questioning and proving of technical expertise are tiresome.’
- Traditional associations with men and rail
Both women and men rate the perception of a male-dominated culture in rail as the biggest challenge to achieving greater diversity in the industry. The need to challenge traditional associations of men with rail and showcase the variety of roles on offer to secondary and tertiary students is a significant opportunity.
('A barrier is) the messages we are giving children at a very young age – pictures of men working in rail, no women, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’, ‘Bob the Builder’.’
- Exclusionary behaviours and gender role stereotyping
Men have a more positive view and experience of the culture and opportunities in the sector. For example, 77 per cent of men agreed that all genders have the same opportunities to develop skills and experience in the rail industry, while only 35 per cent of women respondents agreed. That’s likely a reflection of women’s experiences of unconscious bias and stereotypes.
Among survey respondents, 56 per cent of women said they have experienced negative gender bias in the past year. (For men, 23 per cent had experienced negative gender bias.)
(23 per cent of men said they have experienced negative gender bias.)
(12% of men said they had personally experienced discrimination in the past 12 months).
While women reported experiencing negative gender bias across all sectors of the rail industry, they are more likely to experience negative gender bias in the freight, heavy haul and infrastructure contractor sector.
‘[The challenge is] men’s perception of my abilities as a woman. They look at me and think I am young and mustn’t have been in the industry long or have much experience. It takes me quite some time and explaining for them to realise I have more than two decades of experience in signalling.’
'As a young, Asian female working in project management, I think it’s difficult to be heard in a room full of older, predominantly Caucasian males. It’s a mix of inexperience but also a way of expression that makes me feel like I need to change the way I present myself to suit the others.'
- Harassment and discrimination
Men are more likely to hold the view that harassment is not tolerated in their organisation in the rail sector. Ninety-six per cent of men who responded to our survey agreed with this view, while only 77 per cent of women agreed. The reality is that women are much more likely than men to experience bullying, discrimination and harassment in the rail sector. This can take different forms, from inappropriate jokes to unwelcome sexual advances.
Women with disability and women who identify as LGBTIQA+ reported the highest rates of bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment at work. Experiences of sexual harassment are worst in the freight and heavy haul sector and least in the consulting sector (which has the highest percentage of women).
- Inadequate facilities and amenities
The provision of basic facilities, such as toilets, sanitary bins and private areas for breastfeeding, remain a significant challenge for some women in the sector.
‘Some stations and sites don’t have female accessible bathrooms or any bathrooms.’
‘As a gender diverse person, it is hard to get access to clean and safe bathrooms. This is also an environment I would not feel comfortable to disclose my situation to anyone.’
Many of these barriers will be familiar to women and gender diverse people who have worked in the sector for some time. The value of this report is that it provides a sector-wide view of challenges and also showcases the supportive practices that are helping to create more inclusive workplaces of the future.
Supportive Practices
Several organisations in the rail sector have comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategies in place. Many senior leaders are visible in their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Targeted recruitment campaigns have resulted in a significant increase in the representation of women as train drivers and train crew. Flexible working arrangements are highly valued.
At an industry level, mentoring and networking programs are providing the opportunity for women to share and learn from industry leaders.
These are the actions that will help attract and retain a diverse workforce and help the industry innovate and meet skills shortages. Our next blog features more details of these practices.
How the research was undertaken
- The Australasian Railway Association invited women, men and gender-diverse people from their 330 member firms to participate in a survey.
- 573 people completed the full survey; 505 completed the demographic questions.
- 65 women and gender diverse people took part in six focus groups.
- 11 members of ARA’s Women in Rail committee participated in a workshop.
- Diversity Partners received written submissions.