This research examines women’s growing participation in motorcycling in Bangladesh and the structural, institutional, and socio-cultural barriers shaping their entry, retention, and income-generating potential using motorcycles. The study generates evidence to inform policy, program design, and multi-sectoral engagement to support safer and more inclusive urban mobility and women’s economic participation through motorcycle use.
Researchers: Maheen Sultan; James Ward Khakshi; Farah Muneer; Noriya Mahin Chowdhury; Munshi Sulaiman
Partner: BRAC Road Safety Programme
Timeline: 2025
Status: Completed
Contact: James Ward Khakshi; james.wk@bracu.ac.bd
Context
Women’s mobility in Bangladesh remains constrained by social norms, safety concerns, and limited access to affordable transport. Motorcycles offer a flexible and cost-effective mobility option with potential to expand women’s access to work, services, and income-generating opportunities. However, women’s participation as motorcyclists remains low, and existing evidence on their experiences, constraints, and enabling factors is limited.
Despite growing demand for women riders—particularly in ride-sharing platforms—women face multiple barriers. These include limited access to structured and affordable training, financial constraints in purchasing motorcycles, weak enforcement and irregularities in licensing processes, and persistent resistance from families and communities. Safety risks, harassment, and lack of institutional support further shape women’s experiences on the road.
The absence of systematic evidence has made it difficult for policymakers, program designers, and private-sector actors to identify where interventions are most needed and how to support women motorcyclists effectively. This study responds to that gap by documenting women’s lived experiences and examining how institutional, market, and social factors interact to shape outcomes.
Objectives
The purpose of this study is to understand the barriers and opportunities influencing women’s participation as motorcyclists in Bangladesh and to identify pathways for more inclusive, safe, and sustainable engagement. The research aims to generate evidence that can inform policy discussions, training and licensing reforms, program design, and partnerships with private-sector mobility platforms so that women can utilise motorcycles as a source of income-generating activities. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the barriers and opportunities related to training, finance, licensing, and market opportunities affect women motorcyclists’ ability to enter and remain in the sector, and how social norms and safety concerns shape their experiences. The ultimate goal is to support evidence-informed actions that strengthen women’s mobility, income opportunities, and participation in urban transport systems.
Methodology
The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining a structured survey with qualitative tools to capture women motorcyclists’ experiences across different roles and contexts. The survey questionnaire covered respondent profiles, socio-economic barriers, safety, market demand, and recommendations, and was pre-tested to refine wording, sequencing, and skip patterns. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews (IDIs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and focus group discussions (FGDs) to complement and triangulate survey findings. Data were collected in Dhaka and Chattogram between April and May 2025 using quota-based sampling across seven respondent categories. In total, the study surveyed 712 respondents and conducted 30 KIIs/IDIs and 4 FGDs, enabling rich, disaggregated analysis across participant groups and urban contexts.
Findings and Recommendations
The study finds that women motorcyclists experience strong demand for their services and view motorcycling as a pathway to greater independence, mobility, and income. However, uptake remains constrained by structural and institutional barriers rather than a lack of interest or capability. Key challenges include limited access to affordable, women-friendly training; irregularities in licensing that undermine safety and trust; financial barriers to motorcycle ownership; and persistent social resistance. Safety concerns and harassment— particularly on the road and in public spaces—remain central, while peer networks, women trainers, and supportive families play an important enabling role. While women expressed interest in using motorcycles for personal mobility, far fewer were willing to use them for income-generating activities (IGA) due to security concerns. Despite high demand from ride-sharing and delivery platforms, the supply of women riders remains low, contributing to the stagnation or failure of several women-focused initiatives. Weak enforcement of licensing and road safety regulations allows unsafe drivers to operate, undermining overall road safety and women’s confidence to pursue motorcycling as a livelihood.
Based on these findings, the study recommends expanding structured, accessible training linked to clear licensing pathways, improving access to finance through tailored loan or instalment schemes, strengthening road safety enforcement, and building partnerships with ride-sharing and delivery platforms. However, these measures alone are insufficient. Deeply rooted social norms continue to shape perceptions of women’s mobility and risks; addressing these through community engagement and visible women role models is essential to enable sustained progress across safety, market participation, and economic opportunity.
Learning Uptake and Use
As part of MELA’s learning-oriented approach, findings from the study were used to design a training module for female motorcyclists and the findings were disseminated at a dissemination event hosted by BRAC Road Safety Programme, which included stakeholder engagements and dialogues with government agencies, corporate banks, police enforcement and motorcycle companies. The evidence is informing action planning discussions around training standards, safety protocols, financing mechanisms, and partnership models. The study’s insights are currently being used by BRAC Road Safety Programme to support iterative program design and policy engagement, ensuring that learning from women’s experiences feeds into practical steps for improving women’s mobility and economic participation over time.
