KATHMANDU: Women remain severely underrepresented across all sectors of tourism transport, in the air, on land and on water, with legal, cultural and structural barriers continuing to block their access to decent work, career advancement and leadership roles, according to a new global report released jointly by UN Tourism and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).

The Global Report on Women in Tourism Transport, the first of its kind to compile sex-disaggregated data across aviation, land and water passenger transport, paints a stark picture of a sector where women are present but largely excluded from positions of technical skill and authority.

In aviation, women account for 36 percent of the workforce but hold just six percent of pilot positions, with men continuing to dominate flight deck, technical and leadership roles. The disparity is even sharper in land transport, which accounts for 96 percent of all tourism transport workers globally, yet only three percent of those workers are women. In water passenger transport, women make up 12 percent of the workforce, with significant gaps persisting in managerial and technical roles across the sector.

The report also highlights safety and legal gaps, noting that one in five countries still lacks legal protections against workplace harassment in transport, a finding the organisations describe as a critical barrier to women entering and remaining in the sector.

In response to the report's findings, UN Tourism and ITF have signed a three-year work plan to implement its Action Plan for Women in Tourism Transport. The partnership will engage governments, workers, trade unions and industry partners to strengthen gender-responsive policies, improve working conditions, expand training and leadership pathways for women, and improve data collection and reporting across the sector.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais said tourism is meant to open doors, yet too many doors in transport remain closed to women. "This report gives us the data to act with precision, not good intentions alone. Our responsibility now is to ensure that the women who keep this industry moving are also able to help lead it," she said.

ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said the report's launch marks a beginning rather than an end. "ITF and UN Tourism have made a joint commitment to work with governments, employers, unions and industry partners to tackle the inequalities that persist across tourism transport. Our focus now is turning evidence into action," he said.