Have you ever been hesitant to hail a cab at night? Have you ever stood in a queue for a bus till additional people arrived? Have you ever taken safety measures in anticipation of the worst case scenario?

If your answer is yes, then you are not alone! Navigating the public transport system for women brings about the fears of harassment whether verbal, or physical. Such scenarios are ingrained into women as they seek opportunities for a better future whether in education, work, or even in their normal day-to-day activities.

We take a closer look and try to deconstruct such perceptions through stories and testimonies from Jordan.

Walking down the memory lane

We talked to a group of Jordanian women from different walks of life on how they experienced the public transit system in Jordan 20 years ago. Shadia, 42, informed us that at the time, the country was in a desperate need of a well-established public transportation network which lacked organization and institutionalized supervision.

“I remember that once I barely caught the bus on my way to the university, I took my seat next to the window and started revising for my exam. I was taken off guard when I felt a hand over my waist, I looked around and there was no one touching me, I resumed my studying and I felt the hand with more pressure from the man sitting next to me. I got off the bus immediately; in retrospect, I think I behaved as such because I was so shocked that this could happen to me and more shocked at his audacity,” she said.

Shadia added that this experience was not an isolated one! She had frequent harassment attempts a few years after that when she was commuting to her workplace. “I would be totally drained by the time I arrive at my work and every single desire to be successful would evaporate from my mind.”

Living in today’s world

Another woman, Hind, 23, counts herself to be very lucky that she rarely experienced anything beyond a catcall. “I just graduated from college and I spent my 5-year college experience commuting daily from one governorate to the other via public buses. I wouldn’t say it was the easiest and most convenient way, however I was able to catch buses late after I finished the labs or exams.”

Just like all women’s shared experiences, Hind and Shadia’s stories are comparable. While Shadia spent her college years looking over shoulders, Hind did not experience this haunting lack of security. We spoke to Ghadeer, 35, who spent more time on daily commute than Hind, yet more consistent than Shadia.

“I remember when I used to take the bus to my work daily, or a taxi in case I was extremely late. My biggest issue at the time was with taxi drivers – in buses, I sat in the comfort of not being alone, so if anything happened, it was easier to react. Then technology ushered in ride and ridesharing mobile apps and ever since I have had an optimal experience. Since then, those apps have become the new norms and it has become safer, more controlled and more socially accepted to take a ride at night,” Ghadeer explained.

Ghadeer’s testimony construes such a big societal change happening in as little time as 20 years. Not only that, apps such as Careem and Uber are heavily monitored, with opportunities to rate and give feedback, they also hire female drivers where women can commute fearlessly.

The noticeable development in this sector does not stop at that, what with the recent launch of the Amman Bus Rapid Transit - high frequency bus network- and the new spacious bus editions belonging to the company ‘Amman Bus’, its camera monitoring, and mobile applications connectivity and scheduling, daily commute just has become more accessible.

“The bus stop is a five minute walk from my office. Before that app was launched, people didn’t know when the bus would arrive and they would wait in long queues where harassment often used to occur. Now, I monitor the bus via the map and I only leave the office upon its approach,” a co-worker commented when asked about the current services.

Intra-governorates comparison

The quality of transport services varies throughout governorates, even though Amman and other centralized locations have received high ratings. To learn more about this variance, we spoke with a group of young women from several governorates.

Amal, a 16-year-old spends her after-school hours at the closest extracurricular club, which is 40 minutes away. She either takes the bus or uses the one mobile app that provides transport. “Sometimes verbal harassment is inescapable. I used to think the cause was that I do not wear a hijab, but I learned differently after wearing a hijab on my commute one day to the Quran Recital Association. At that point, it dawned on me that my appearance and what I wear have no bearing on the situation. The mobile app cars gave my parents peace of mind as I can send them my live location and the driver’s information, although I have to say, in our tribal community, if I am going home at night, it is uncomfortable to go home in a private car as opposed to getting off the public bus,” Amal said.

On the other hand, Salma’s primary commute problem is not getting around the governorate but rather moving from her governorate to Amman. “I book 'public transport cars' to Amman, but when it comes time to go back, the car I scheduled with doesn't show up, so they send me a private car with a different driver to pick me up. With no alternative available, I venture and take the ride. Having to commute between governorates in a car with four strangers makes me uncomfortable. Within the governorate itself, I use the mobile app, even though unlicensed, it simplifies my life. I might call myself fortunate, but I hardly ever experience harassment when commuting,” she explained.

For another young woman, Aya, her transportation experiences in the same governorate span different phases of her life. “When in college and on exam days, if the bus took too long to get going and we were worried about missing our exams, we used to get off the bus and take a taxi. The issue arose when the fee collectors and drivers noticed us; they would verbally abuse us, comment on our attire, and in multiple instances, forbid us from boarding the bus for the next few days.”

After her graduation, COVID hit hard and transportation out of the governorate became near impossible with the curfew. This led a group of young men with mobility permits to arrange a transit scheme that would make it easier for women who worked in Amman to make the daily trek. They were trustworthy , but as more drivers joined in, it turned into a sort of brokerage, and eventually ladies stopped recognising who would pick them up or whether they were reliable enough.

"I started using the mobile app after it launched," she went on. “Nevertheless, because it was unlicensed, drivers have asked me to take the front seat multiple times so they won't be ticketed by the police for working via a mobile app. We live in a very traditional society where all families are acquainted with one another. It is scandalous for a girl to sit in the front seat of a private vehicle with a man she doesn't know for two reasons: first, the driver may assume that she is obliging and complies with any "other" requests he might make, and second, she may be falsely accused of being in a relationship with him or that she goes home everyday in a different car. On the upside, it made transportation easier, monitorable and trackable, ” Aya added.

Aya tells us that yellow taxis in the governorate are only available in central areas. Therefore, in the event that you need to leave, you will have to phone the taxi stand to arrange for a car to pick you up. As a result, drivers open the tally as soon as they get on the road, meaning that the amount you pay is double what you would normally spend. “Also, I become very uncomfortable when drivers memorize my drop-off location or when they save my name and number, prompting me to change up my pick-up points.”

In another governorate the situation is eerily similar. Public buses are available till 7 PM in summer and till 4:30 PM in winter, according to Sarah who commutes regularly from the city to her university and the youth space she founded in Amman. “The buses do not commit to their transport links, so -for example- if the Bus is As-Salt-Amman, they would operate in two phases: —As-Salt-Swaileh and then Swaileh-Amman—to exploit passengers and double the fees. They also onboard passengers on the bus beyond its seating capacity. With no regard for our personal space, they would verbally abuse us until we give up and agree to share our seats with other passengers. Also, in many cases the fee collectors come to collect the money, they purposefully reach to touch our hands.”

“Yellow taxis are not much better. Drivers frequently drive extremely fast, smoke with closed windows, blare their radios, and abuse the passengers if they dare to ask them to slow down. They let other passengers share rides without asking the first passenger for consent, under the pretext that the destination is en route,” she mentioned.
Sarah noted that despite having multiple phone apps functioning in the city, when she orders a ride, the app would show few available cars in her area, as well as drivers stop taking ride requests after specific hours. “We opt to book private cars that function as unofficial transportation, particularly on Fridays when there are very few buses running and only early in the morning," Sarah continued.

How does eliminating harassment benefit the environment?

If harassment in public transportation was kept to a minimal level, it would instigate a new trust in people to adopt using it more; using mass transportation such as busses means people wouldn’t use their cars for commuting and consequently reducing energy consumption and Jordan’s carbon footprint- hence, positively impacting the environment.

This is not just hypothetical talk. In October 2023, Amman was declared the first Eco Capital in the Middle East! It was followed by the announcement that diplomatic missions in Jordan partnered with the Greater Amman Municipality to promote initiatives that reduce our carbon footprint to create a greener and cleaner Amman.

Eliminating harassment boosts women economic participation

Eliminating harassment in transportation enables women to safely commute to their workplaces and with no fear of finding themselves in situations where they might be endangered. Shadia’s experience in her work commute presented a convincing factor in quitting her job.

During the formative Research carried by She Leads Programme, several young women and Syrian women highlighted harassment as one of the difficulties hindering them “… lack of transportation in the evening, particularly for women who work late, is added to the lack of adequate transportation for people who live in distant locations or villages.

The Formative Research provides key recommendations to different duty bearers including International Non- Profit Organizations “advocate for safe transportation for women at the workplaces, fundraise and support infrastructure projects in workplaces.”

Other recommendations provided by activists include: devising effective policies and regulating the legislations as well as increasing the sector’s competitiveness and tightening the supervision over Coaster Buses.

In the most recent UPR report by the UN Country Team on Women in the Workforce, it was recommended that the Jordanian government provide a conducive working environment for women, including an adequate public transport system.

Such dedicated efforts towards harassment elimination in public transportation will eventually help Jordan meet its SDG targets in SDG four, five, eight, twelve and thirteen which would have a long term impact on Jordan’s GDP.

Disclaimer: All names and identifying details have been changed and altered to protect the privacy of individuals.

By: Roa’a Abu Nada