In celebration of International Women’s Day earlier this month, we at TfSE are proud to highlight the role that women play across the transport sector, and the importance of ensuring their voices are represented throughout the industry.

Women in Transport report that women made up only 27% of the transport workforce in 2025, with many of these roles outside core operational functions. Our own Regional Travel Survey shows clear differences in how men and women travel across the South East.

Women take more walking trips, travel more frequently as car passengers, and make slightly more personal business and shopping journeys.

Meanwhile, men are more likely to drive, cycle, and travel further overall. These differences demonstrate why it is so important that women provide their perspectives within the sector.

We spoke to five women working within transport across the South East, to better understand their experiences and shine a light on their achievements within the industry.

For Laura Wells, Acting Head of Transport Projects & Engineering at Brighton & Hove City Council, lived experience shapes better design.

“There is no ‘one size fits all’ user,” she explains. Her experiences navigating streets as a new mother highlighted invisible barriers and strengthened her commitment to creating streets and transport systems “that truly work for everyone.”

Nicola Waight, Team Leader in Transport Policy at Hampshire County Council, emphasises the importance of robust, inclusive evidence. “Since reading Invisible Women, I’ve made sure every survey I commission uses sex‑disaggregated data,” she says.

“It repeatedly reveals patterns that would otherwise be missed.” She stresses that representation “isn’t a ‘nice to have’—it is essential to making fair, realistic, and future‑proof decisions.”

For Sophie Walker, Project Manager in East Sussex County Council, culture is just as important as technical delivery. “A female perspective brings empathy, structure, and healthy challenge,” she says.

Sophie has championed “clear communication and a people‑first mindset,” which helps teams reframe problems and make safety and wellbeing central to decision‑making. “Culture shapes projects as much as technical decisions,” she notes.

Alicia Jay, Permit Officer at East Sussex County Council, highlights the importance of being heard and respected within male‑dominated environments.

Reflecting on her experience of challenging inappropriate behaviour, she shared: “If there had been a female in a more senior role, it would have been handled differently… That really needs to change.”

Despite this, she says the industry offers far more variety than many realise, “There’s so much more that goes on… there are opportunities everywhere, no matter your skill set.”

Alexandra Riordan, Asset & Innovation Lead in East Sussex County Council, reinforces the importance of visibility and opportunity. “Women exist and they are just as educated and capable as men,” she says. Working in highways has shown her the value of women’s voices in innovation and asset management.

She encourages women entering the sector to embrace their individuality: “There is strength in being yourself… once I stopped trying to fit a mould, I felt more comfortable and I was taken more seriously as a professional.” Together, these stories demonstrate why women’s perspectives are important in creating transport networks that are safer, more inclusive, and fully reflective of the communities they serve.