Archive · 11 Oct 2026
India’s Gender Commute Gap Highlights Unequal Workforce Mobility
A survey found that fewer working women than working men travel more than 1 kilometre to work.
The difference is 20 percentage points.
Many people in India travel by two-wheeler or walk, while smaller shares use buses or trains.
Longer trips can cost more money and time.
Safety, transport access and family care duties might affect how far people can travel.
But the survey does not prove that these are the reasons women travel shorter distances.
More information about workers and their jobs is needed.
The article says that people should have real choices about where they work.
The survey found that 42% of working women travel more than 1 km to work, compared with 62% of working men.
That represents a 20-percentage-point difference in the share commuting beyond 1 km.
Nationally, two-wheelers account for 42.6% of primary commuting modes and walking for 28.3%.
Buses account for 6.7% of primary commuting modes, while rail-based transport, including metro, accounts for 2.1%.
The figures show a difference in travel distance but do not explain its causes; the article calls for more research into jobs, earnings and constraints.
- Who
- Working women and men in India.
- What
- The survey reports a 20-percentage-point gap in the share of workers travelling more than 1 km to work.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- The reported figures do not establish why the gap exists; the article says more research is needed.
Possible explanations for shorter commutes
Limits of the available evidence
Transport, safety and care responsibilities
Possible explanations for shorter commutes
The article identifies transport costs and access, safety concerns, and unpaid care work as possible factors that may shape women’s commuting choices.
Limits of the available evidence
The reported survey figures do not show that these factors cause the gap; more research into workers’ circumstances and job choices is needed.
Meaning of shorter journeys
Possible explanations for shorter commutes
Shorter commutes could indicate that employment options are limited by location, affordability or household circumstances.
Limits of the available evidence
A shorter journey could also mean a workplace is conveniently located; distance alone does not establish whether workers have restricted opportunities.
- Women travelling more than 1 km
- 42% of working women
- Men travelling more than 1 km
- 62% of working men
- Difference
- 20 percentage points
- Two-wheelers
- 42.6% of primary commuting modes
- Walking
- 28.3% of primary commuting modes
- Buses
- 6.7% of primary commuting modes
- Rail-based transport
- 2.1% of primary commuting modes, including metro services