(19 October 2026) – Rail, bus, maritime, road and logistics employers urged to contribute before the November deadline.
Women in Transport has opened its third Equity Index survey and is asking employers across the sector to report on the recruitment, pay, progression and workplace policies affecting women in transport.
The 2025 Index received responses from 100 organisations. It recorded women as 27% of the workforce of participating employers, compared with 23% in 2023. But 59% of participating organisations reported a gender pay gap of 11% or more and 65% had no action plan to reduce their gap.
Maritime employers urged to take part in third Women in Transport Equity Index
The maritime sector’s average Index score rose from 48% in 2023 to 49% in 2025. Among participating organisations employing seafarers, 14% of seafarers identified as women; this is not an estimate of the entire UK seafaring workforce. The new survey is an opportunity for more maritime employers to contribute evidence on recruitment, progression and retention.
Many women face a tough choice between continuing a career at sea and raising a family. While some notable exceptions do exist, I encourage more companies to explore changes that help women continue working at sea and manage family life. All of the efforts to increase the number of women working at sea are never going to make a difference if the industry fails to adjust and is unable to retain those women already at sea. Things must change!” Said Deborah Layde, Chief Executive of The Seafarers’ Charity and Co-Chair of Maritime UK’s Women in Maritime.
The Index’s 2025 mandatory-question score was 52. A separate full WORK180 assessment score was 47%, based on its broader framework and cross-industry benchmarking; these are not the same measure.
Julia Buckley MP, Chair, APPG for Women in Transport: “Transport needs skilled people in every part of the country. We should understand what helps women enter the industry, stay in it and move into senior and operational jobs. I welcome this opportunity for employers to contribute evidence and show what they are doing to widen opportunity.”
Sue Terpilowski OBE, Equity Index Lead, Women in Transport: “The value of the third survey is that we can ask a straightforward question: what has changed? In 2025 we saw encouraging improvements in representation, but stubborn problems on pay and support for working parents. More responses, particularly from smaller employers and frontline businesses, will give us a clearer view of what needs to happen next.”
Sonya Byers OBE, CEO, Women in Transport: “Transport employers are competing for skills at the same time as they are changing how services are delivered. That makes recruitment and retention a boardroom issue. The Index tells us where employers have made headway and where their policies still fall short. We want organisations of every size to take part, including those that have never completed the survey before.”
Gemma Lloyd, CEO and Co-founder, WORK180: “At WORK180, we know meaningful change starts with understanding where we are and being honest about where there’s still work to do. Now in its third year, the Women in Transport Equity Index is building an increasingly valuable picture of progress across the industry, while highlighting where greater action is needed. We’re proud to continue supporting an initiative that turns data into insight, accountability and ultimately better outcomes for women across transport.”
The survey opens this week. Findings are due to be published on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2027. Organisations that participated in previous surveys can access their existing data, making it easier to review and update responses and track progress over time. Women in Transport is encouraging employers of all sizes, across every transport sector, to take part and contribute to a clearer picture of workplace equity across the industry. Find out more: https://www.womenintransport.com/equity-index
Take the survey: https://work180.com/en-gb/for-employers/how-we-can-help/women-in-transport-index-survey
The 2026 Women in Transport Equity Index is supported by Network Rail, Camilleri, FM Conway and The Seafarers’ Charity. Their sponsorship helps Women in Transport continue its benchmarking work, broaden participation across the industry and identify where progress is being made and where further action is needed.
