Older Women’s Mobility and Its Vulnerability

Majority of older persons are female, yet gender aspects are often neglected in older persons’ transportation issues. This paper presents empirical findings on older women’s mobility options and obstacles, and points out some of the most important issues to be taken into account when designing policies to enhance the mobility of older persons. The findings demonstrate that there are clear gender-related differences in mobility in old age. Older women differ significantly from older men in their travel patterns and mobility options by trip frequency, access to a car, and unfulfilled mobility needs. Also, their modal choices are typically such that require moderate physical fitness and/or regular help from others. Certain socio-cultural mechanisms tend to shape women’s travel and modal choices throughout their life course, resulting into disadvantage in the old age. Older women’s demographic and physical characteristics, combined with distinctive travel patterns, result often in serious mobility problems. However, behind the travel patterns that are typical to older women (and women in general), there are certain socio-cultural mechanisms. This means that the women’s disadvantage in travel and mobility is constructed rather than given. This perspective indicates also a possibility for change; as older women’s mobility problems and obstacles are mostly constructed by social and cultural conventions, throughout the life course, they can also be preventable. If the aim is to enhance the mobility of older persons, it is important to apply gender sensitive approach into both research and policy making. Majority of seniors is female and they are also the group of elders most likely to have problems in mobility.