Initial characterization of the mobility of rural women in Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract

In recent years, studies on women’s daily mobility at the urban level have been addressed with greater emphasis. However, there is little scientific literature that describes how the displacement of rural women occurs. This article proposes an initial characterization of the mobility of rural women in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Based on information from the review of secondary sources and a representative survey applied in rural areas, the article shows results that describe the territory from which women make their journeys, in addition to the destinations, reasons, costs, means of transport, time, and perception on their trips. The findings suggest that women’s mobility is characterized by majority trips to the urban area, distinguished using motorized means. Likewise, the results show that women have travel reasons more related to shopping, in addition to using public transport more for their mobility than men, with higher costs and times. Based on these discoveries, proposals for research topics are proposed to analyze the mobility of rural women at the local and regional level.