Only 1% of women work in passenger transportation. This needs to be changed, - Kateryna Datsko, Executive Director of the Institutional Development Foundation and She Drives project manager

Last year, Ukraine launched the She Drives project, which aims to train 100 female bus drivers to work in passenger transportation. The project is being implemented by the Institutional Development Foundation at the initiative of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine in partnership with UN Women and with financial support from Sweden. 

The MAPA team, which consists of 100% women, was very interested to learn the details of the project, namely: how the selection process was conducted, where the drivers will be employed, what stereotypes the Foundation is fighting against, etc.

We talked to Kateryna Datsko, Executive Director of the Foundation for Institutional Development and She Drives project manager, Anna Neodnycha, Communications Manager of the Foundation, and Oleksandra Kundirenko, Project Assistant.

The birth of the project

- How did you come up with the idea to create a project to train female bus drivers? What are the stages of its implementation? Are there similar projects in other countries?

Kateryna: Our organization cooperates with the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry), so we understand all the pains of the industry. There are several factors: the start of the bus reform in 2024, the conclusions of the study of the need for freight and passenger transport drivers, and mobilization.

There are only 1% of women in passenger transportation. This needs to be changed. According to the Ministry's research, today in the field of bus transportation (in particular in public transport), the shortage of drivers reaches 30%, or about 6 thousand people. 

The project itself was born out of the industry's needs and the Ministry's desire to find a solution, as well as our experience in professional development, development of professional standards, organization of training, etc. We can also add our desire to support women in this field.

- How did you start the project?

Kateryna: The initiative to implement such a project came from the Ministry. Then the concept was born, supported by UN Women in Ukraine and the Swedish government.

- Compared to other countries, how many/few women drivers are there in Ukraine?

Kateryna: There are no exact figures. In general, women in the industry are viewed more broadly abroad, not just as drivers. Starting from the owner, the head of the transportation business, the head of logistics processes, and the driver herself. That is, in other countries, work has long been underway to overcome gender stereotypes in this area, but it is much broader in terms of professions.

Oleksandra: It is worth adding that the women who applied for the project reported in their questionnaires and personal conversations that they were inspired by the experience of women abroad. Often, when traveling to other countries, Ukrainian women saw women truck and bus drivers, and this became a motivation for their own development.

- Clarification question: The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine has launched a recruitment for retraining programs for women (professions of freight and passenger transport drivers). Are you involved in this project?

Kateryna: We are not directly involved, but we are sure that the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine are cooperating on this project. The project of the Ministry of Economy is broader and is aimed not only at the transport sector, but also at the development of women in various important areas for the country. In addition, the project of the Ministry of Economy is aimed not only at women but also at veterans and their families.

Funding, training and KPIs

- To orient our readers, how much funding are we talking about for She Drives?

Kateryna: I can tell you how much it costs today to train a woman to work as a passenger transport driver. Prices in the regions vary (we know this because we work directly with driving schools), but on average, the price for full training, from theory to driving practice, is just over $1,000 per person. 

But it's important to note that the project covers not only the theory and practice of bus driving, but also the involvement of a psychologist to support them on their way to entering the profession, training to improve their general abilities, resume preparation, interviewing, and excursions to companies where women will be able to find employment.

- Details about the project: how many women are currently studying (for buses), how is the training conducted (offline/online, are there tests, where is the driving involved)?

Oleksandra: A total of 100 women are participating in the project, selected from 403 applicants.

During the first stage, 86 women were selected, some of whom were unable to start training due to failure to meet certain conditions for participation in the project. During the second round, we received a lot of applications, although there were only 30 places available.

Kateryna: Our colleagues abroad have different numbers for similar initiatives. For example, in Turkey, 20 women took part in a similar project, 7 of whom were trained, and only 5 were employed. However, there is no such motivation there as in Ukraine.

We have a specific KPI: 100 women in the project, of which at least 80 must be employed. We create jobs, and this is an important feature of this project.

- What criteria were used to select the participants?

Kateryna: We selected women who live in Ukraine, have a driver's license (in the chosen category “B”, “C”, “CE”, “D1”) with more than 3 years of driving experience. 

The selection of participants also took into account their personal motivation to learn the profession of bus driver and the opportunity to study online/offline, as well as their readiness for employment.

- In which regions could women submit the questionnaire?

Kateryna: The project operates in the city of Kyiv, Dnipropetrovs'k, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernihiv regions. In these regions, women receive theoretical and practical training and will be employed. 

- What is the process of withdrawal from the project, if any?

Oleksandra: The team is very careful in selecting candidates. Our participants should be result-oriented as much as possible.

We had to refuse to participate to many participants because their goal was only to get another category without a desire to find a job and develop professionally in the field of passenger transportation. This does not meet the objectives and goals of the She Drives project. 

Applicants who did not have sufficient experience as required by law were also denied. Applicants from regions that were not included in the project geography were also rejected.

- How did the women find out about the project?

Kateryna: It was communication on our official resources, on the resources of the Ministry and UN Women in Ukraine, as well as local governments and the media.

Anna: We also have an official website with all the information about the project and its implementation stages. In addition, the She Drives project's social media channels are active.

- How do you look for employers?

Anna: Before the project started, we already had requests for drivers from 10 partner companies. This is one of the prerequisites for creating the project. 

Currently, employers who have a request for bus drivers can fill out a questionnaire and thus declare their desire to become partners of She Drives.

- Are these requests from utility companies?

Kateryna: Yes. Before we applied for the project, we already had letters of support from utilities located in the project regions. 

We also cooperate with private enterprises, such as Green Elephant 7 (specializing in providing regular bus passenger services in Ukraine) and FlixBus.

That is, we are not limited to public transport and are open to partnerships with businesses. 

- In your opinion, what is the difference between municipal and private companies?

Kateryna: Everyone has their own style of work. In my opinion, there are still stereotypes about women drivers in utility companies, while in business there are much fewer of them. 

Oleksandra: Regarding employment, I would like to add that we have women who have a family business in bus transportation, and they would like to be more involved in this area. There is also a participant whose husband bought a bus, and she intends to get a category and engage in passenger transportation. 

Moreover, some of the women have experience in logistics and thus want to improve their performance. So the company offered the woman to participate in the project and then move on to the position of a driver within the company.