In this novel study, a gender audit was conducted to assess how the Seoul (Metro) and Jakarta (MRT) subway systems respond to women’s needs. The audit revealed that both Seoul Metro and MRT Jakarta have made significant efforts to accommodate the needs of all passengers, including women. This is commendable because a public transit system that works well for women works better for everyone. With some improvements, both subways could achieve Universal Design standards. The audit protocol developed can be employed to periodically monitor other subway systems in Asia and measure progress towards gender mainstreaming.

To cite this Open Access article:

Nirma Yossa, Cherin Kim, Dorina Pojani & Neil Sipe (2023) Is public transit meeting the needs of women? A gender audit of two Asian metro systems, Journal of Urban Design, DOI: 10.1080/13574809.2023.2240247