BSEC-URTA Working Party on the Role of Women in Road Transport Holds Second Meeting
The second meeting of the BSEC-URTA Working Party on the Role of Women in Road Transport convened on 9th September 2025 online to deliberate on the implementation of its Roadmap. The Roadmap seeks to promote gender equality, enhance working conditions, create career advancement opportunities, and ensure unified representation for professional women in the road transport sector. Its objectives align with the broader goals of increasing employment and leadership opportunities for women, fostering their active participation, and contributing to the sustainable development of the sector.
A central item on the agenda was the presentation by the OECD Istanbul Center on the Project Proposal entitled “Promoting Gender-Inclusive Employment in the Transport Sector: Data-Driven Insights from Extended Black Sea Region Countries”, which is set to be implemented in partnership with the OECD and ITF. The Roadmap’s focus areas—including research and data collection, training and competence programs, improvement of working conditions, and leadership representation—were noted as being directly correlated with the scope of this Project. The initiative will analyze women’s working conditions, identify obstacles and opportunities, and deliver data-driven policy recommendations.
The meeting was attended by representatives from BSEC-URTA member associations, the Permanent International Secretariat of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC PERMIS), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), the OECD Istanbul Centre, and the International Road Transport Union (IRU).
Key Challenges
Participants underlined that women remain significantly underrepresented in the transport workforce, despite the sector’s urgent need for innovation amid the green and digital transitions and persistent labor shortages. Furthermore, the limited availability of gender-disaggregated data continues to hinder informed policymaking and the effective design of inclusive strategies.
Next Steps
The outcomes of the meeting will be presented at the 46th BSEC-URTA General Assembly Meeting, scheduled to take place in Cappadocia on 9 October 2025, where the OECD Istanbul Center will also provide a dedicated presentation on the Project.
