Financial resources as a structuring force in women’s urban mobility: Practices, constraints, and strategies in Yaoundé

Abstract

Research on transport patterns both in the Global South and the North has revealed the existence of gendered differences in mobility. Women are disproportionately affected by these differences. The existing, Africa-centered, literature on the subject has explored certain aspects of the challenges women face when it comes to their mobility, but not much effort has explicitly focused on the constraints and strategies used by these women through the lens of financial resources. This article explores women’s mobility in Yaoundé, Cameroon, with a focus on how financial resources shape daily travel experiences and the adaptive strategies employed by women to overcome the challenges afferent to mobility. Drawing on a qualitative study based on 45 interviews with women from diverse socio-professional backgrounds, the findings reveal that financial means are a decisive factor in how mobility is experienced, influencing modal choices and the capacity to navigate urban transport difficulties. The results underscore how differentiated access to transport modes reproduces social stratification patterns and reinforces gender inequalities. Ultimately, the study highlights the persistence of social and gender hierarchies in urban mobility and points to the need for transport policies that systematically integrate women’s experiences and needs, in order to promote inclusion and autonomy.