Representation of women in transport is rising, but action on pay has stalled. This year’s Equity Index survey is open until 30th November, and the more organisations take part, the clearer the gender equity picture becomes.
Since 2023, the Women in Transport Equity Index has given the sector a consistent way to benchmark gender equity, measured the same way each time. Our 2025 report drew on data from 100 participating organisations and gave us the first chance to compare progress over two years.
The findings show real progress on who is working in transport and who is leading it. They also show that accountability, particularly on pay, has not kept pace. The 2026 survey is now open, and we're asking organisations of every size and every mode to submit their data.
What the 2025 Index told us
Equity Index 2025
Headline findings from 100 transport organisations
27%
of the workforce are women
36%
of leadership roles are held by women
92%
are open to discussing flexible work at interview
59%
report a gender pay gap of 11% or more
65%
have no action plan to reduce their pay gap
21%
offer 20+ weeks' paid parental leave
Source: Women in Transport Equity Index 2025
Women now make up 27% of the workforce across participating organisations and hold 36% of leadership roles. Flexibility is becoming the norm at the point of hiring, with 92% of organisations open to discussing flexible work at interview.
The pay picture is less encouraging. More than half of organisations (59%) report a gender pay gap of 11% or more, and almost two-thirds (65%) have no action plan to reduce it. Support for carers also remains limited: only 21% offer 20 weeks or more of paid parental leave.
What has shifted since 2023?
What has shifted since 2023?
The sector is moving – pay accountability is lagging behind
Women in the workforce
▲ +4 ptsWomen in leadership
▲ +10 ptsOrganisations with a pay gap of 11%+
▬ FlatNo pay gap action plan
▼ WorseAverage paid parental leave
▬ Unchanged8 weeks in 2023 and 8 weeks in 2025
Bars show percentage of participating organisations or workforce, on a 0–100% scale. Source: Women in Transport Equity Index 2023 and 2025
The biggest movement is in leadership, where the share of roles held by women rose by ten percentage points, from 26% to 36%. Women's share of the overall workforce grew from 23% to 27%.
On pay, the dial has barely moved. The proportion of organisations reporting a gap of 11% or more is effectively flat at 59%, while the share with no plan to tackle it has grown from 56% to 65%. Average paid parental leave stands at eight weeks, exactly where it was two years ago.
The sector is moving, though it is yet to transform. The opportunity now is to turn awareness into measurable action, with leaders accountable for the distance between policy on paper and what people experience at work.
Equity is a strategic imperative for talent, innovation and long-term success – no longer a “nice-to-have”.
Five levers for sector-wide change
The 2025 Index set out an action agenda for organisations ready to move from evidence to implementation:
Close the gap. Annual pay audits, public action plans and leadership accountability.
Build pipelines. Sponsorship and succession planning into operational leadership roles.
Normalise flexibility. Flexible working as the organisational default, wherever roles allow.
Raise the floor on care. 20+ weeks' paid leave for primary carers, with pension continuity.
Publish targets. Time-bound equity commitments linked to procurement and performance.
Three questions to take into your next meeting
Transport professionals shape projects, teams, supply chains and standards. Equity belongs in those decisions as much as in HR policy. Next time you're in a scheme review, planning meeting or procurement conversation, ask:
Who is missing from the room?
Is pay, progression and opportunity transparent?
Can flexibility work for operational roles too?
Why your data counts
The Equity Index uses a global benchmarking framework adapted for UK transport, with 45 data points linked to WORK180's DEI Assessment. Taking part gives your organisation a clear view of where it stands against its peers, and adds to the evidence base the whole sector relies on.
Each additional organisation makes the findings more representative and harder to ignore. A wider dataset lets us look more closely at differences between modes, roles and organisation sizes, and track progress with greater confidence year on year.
Take part in the 2026 Equity Index
Equity Index 2026
Take part in this year's survey
Broader data means richer insight, and stronger evidence for change. Every organisation that takes part sharpens the benchmark for the whole sector.
12th October
Survey opened
30th November
Survey closes – submit your data by this date
8th March 2027
Report launches on International Women's Day
Questions? Contact Sue Terpilowski OBE
sue.terpilowski@womenintransport.com
The survey is open now and closes on 30th November 2026. Findings will be published on International Women's Day, 8th March 2027.
You can get involved in three ways: submit your organisation's data, sponsor or support the Index from £500 to help widen participation, and share the survey as widely as you can across your network and supply chain.
Submit your data to the 2026 Equity Index, or contact Sue Terpilowski OBE, Equity Index Lead, at sue.terpilowski@womenintransport.com with any questions about taking part or sponsorship.