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ACTIVITY SHEET – SCIENCE WEEK

October 24, 2025

Activity 1 : Do we all pay the same to get around? Science, Gender and Public Transport Fares

Did you know that not everyone pays the same to get around – even when using the same bus or tram? And that transport fares can be unfair without us even realizing it?
In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore how factors like gender, where you live, or whether you care for others can influence what it costs to move around Murcia.
Using real-life examples and a participatory activity, we’ll work together to analyze and design fairer fare systems for everyone.

Join us to investigate, debate, and come up with solutions!

Activity overview: Based on recent research on gender and public transport fares carried out by members of the EuWIGeN Network for the Barcelona City Council, this workshop brings the discussion to the local context of Murcia city and the wider Region of Murcia.

We’ll examine whether current public transport fares (urban and interurban) affect people differently depending on their gender, income level, and caregiving responsibilities.
The session begins with a role-playing simulation of daily mobility needs in the Murcia Region, followed by a presentation of key research findings, and concludes with a collective debate on how to ensure more equal and just mobility for all.

Goals:

  • Share scientific research on transport fares and gender in an accessible way.
  • Apply this research to the specific context of Murcia and its region.
  • Raise awareness about inequalities in access to public transport based on gender, income, and location.
  • Encourage public input on fairer fare policies.

Activity structure:

1. Participatory Simulation (30 min)

  • Complete a short survey about your mobility habits.
  • Role-play daily travel routes based on different profiles (man/woman, student, caregiver, senior, person with a disability, resident of a rural area, etc.).
  • Estimate monthly travel costs for each profile.

2. Presentation: “Gender-Sensitive Public Transport Fares – Barcelona 2025 Report” (40 min)

  • What is a fare, and why should we care from a scientific point of view?
  • Key findings from Barcelona: where inequalities show up.
  • Challenges and specific issues for Murcia’s transport system.

3. Group Discussion and Proposals (20 min)
Guiding questions:

  • What would a fair fare system look like?
  • What roles do economics and law play in these decisions?
  • What data are we missing?

Location: Science Week venue – Botanical Garden, Stand No. 75, Murcia
Time:
Morning: 11:30 – 13:30
Afternoon: 18:00 – 20:00
Target audience:
University students (4th year, Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, University of Murcia – subject: Spanish Tax System, Groups 1 & 2).
Part of the Public Policy and Gender Seminar.

Activity lead:
Gloria Alarcón García, University of Murcia, EuWIGeN
Collaborators:
Laura López Gómez – Technical University of Cartagena, EuWIGeN
José Manuel Mayor Balsas – University of Murcia, EuWIGeN
Diego Peñarrubia Blasco – University of Murcia, EuWIGeN
Research project:
PID2022-141305OB-I00, “Infrastructures for Everyday Life from the Perspective of Feminist Welfare Economics”. Funded by the 2022 National R&D Call: Knowledge Generation Projects – State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2021–2023.

Activity 2: Quick Game: “And you, how much does it cost you to get around?”

Summary: In this drop-in activity at our stand, visitors can take part in an interactive game to find out how much it costs them to get around depending on where they live, what they do, and whether they care for others.

Using a “profile wheel”, real maps, and a quick fare calculator, they’ll discover if they pay more or less than others for their daily mobility.
Participants will also be invited to leave their own proposals for a fairer fare system.

A fun and visual way to talk about science, gender, and social justice in everyday mobility!

Goals:

  • Bring science closer to the general public in an engaging and simple format.
  • Reveal hidden inequalities in transport fare systems.
  • Raise awareness of how gender, location, and caregiving roles affect access to mobility.
  • Collect public ideas and proposals for improving fare policies.

Activity flow:

  • Spin the “Profile Wheel” to receive a role (e.g. caregiver, student, rural resident, elderly person, etc.).
  • Check the map to find your typical daily destination (university, workplace, hospital, shopping center, park, childcare center, etc.).
  • Use the quick calculator to estimate your monthly transport costs.
  • Compare your result with other profiles. Reflect: Do you pay more or less? Is that fair? What would you change?
  • Leave your idea on the “Wall of Ideas” for fairer transport.

Target audience:
Open to everyone – families, young people, older adults, casual visitors.
No prior knowledge required. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Location: Science Week venue – Botanical Garden, Stand No. 75, Murcia
Schedule: Friday, October 24, 11:00 – 20:00
Activity lead:
Gloria Alarcón García, University of Murcia, EuWIGeN
Collaborators:
Laura López Gómez – Technical University of Cartagena, EuWIGeN
José Manuel Mayor Balsas – University of Murcia, EuWIGeN
Diego Peñarrubia Blasco – University of Murcia, EuWIGeN
Research project:
PID2022-141305OB-I00, “Infrastructures for Everyday Life from the Perspective of Feminist Welfare Economics”. Funded by the 2022 National R&D Call: Knowledge Generation Projects – State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2021–2023.