Two recent focus groups, one in Skopje and another in Ohrid, brought to light the daily struggles of caregivers—mostly women—who juggle responsibilities for children, elderly family members, and persons with disabilities, all while navigating cities that fail to support them. Our aim was to get a micro-level, qualitative snapshot of how caregiving, mobility, and gender intersect in everyday life. With the two focus groups participants we explored the key questions such as:
- What are their typical care-related duties and how do they travel?
- What challenges do they face?
- What solutions would make a difference?
Caregivers in both Skopje and Ohrid described a wide range of responsibilities, including taking children to school, kindergartens, extracurricular activities, escorting elderly parents to medical appointments, grocery shopping, running errands, or accompanying family members to cemeteries, and providing support to people with disabilities.
In Ohrid, many participants use bicycles or walk—especially women—while men typically drive scooters or cars. But in more remote areas, walking isn’t safe due to lack of sidewalks. Public transport is theoretically available, but in practice it’s unreliable, irregular, and sometimes completely absent. Where buses do exist, they come every 2–3 hours and often lack basic accessibility features.
In Skopje, most caregivers of people with disabilities avoid using public transport altogether. Many said the ramps on buses haven’t worked since 2012, making it impossible to board with a wheelchair. Even caregivers themselves described public transport as stressful and often dehumanizing.
Participants painted a picture of daily life shaped by stress, unpredictability, and long hours spent navigating an inaccessible transport system.
In Ohrid, public transportation is either nonexistent or poorly connected in many neighborhoods, making daily travel a constant challenge. The few available bus lines operate on irregular schedules, and the vehicles are outdated, uncomfortable, and ill-suited to the needs of passengers, especially those with limited mobility. Mothers often face significant difficulties in getting their children to kindergartens that are far from home, with no viable public transport options to rely on. Meanwhile, many elderly residents—particularly those living alone—are unable to leave their homes regularly, leading to increased social isolation and a decline in quality of life.
In Skopje, people with disabilities experience not only physical but also emotional barriers when using public transport. Several participants described how fellow passengers often refuse to give up priority seating, leading to feelings of exclusion and humiliation. Compounding the problem is the lack of trained assistance on buses and the absence of functioning accessibility features, such as ramps. Despite legislation requiring accessible infrastructure, many side streets—especially in rural or suburban areas—remain impassable for those with mobility challenges. Additionally, caregivers of children with mental disabilities expressed deep concern about the lack of institutional support beyond the age of 26, leaving families with little to no options for long-term care.
The emotional burden is heavy. Others shared the guilt of not being able to meet both work and care obligations due to transportation constraints.
Participants proposed a range of practical, low-cost and impactful solutions:
- Introduce assistants on public transport to help people with disabilities board safely,
- Replace broken hydraulic ramps with manual ones on buses,
- Install GPS systems on public buses and develop a mobile app with real-time schedules,
- Create scheduled, fixed-route community buses for key destinations like hospitals and cemeteries,
- Subsidize electric mobility aids such as tricycles for elderly and disabled users,
- Support carpooling platforms to enhance safety and access in rural areas,
- Promote education and inclusion from an early age, to foster empathy and reduce stigma,
- Train bus drivers annually on accessibility and sensitivity.
From these discussions, one thing is clear: improving transport access is not just about buses and roads—it’s about social inclusion, gender equality, and dignity. The most suitable solutions are those that reduce isolation, promote independence, and relieve the invisible burden women carry in both urban and rural settings. This isn’t just a mobility issue. It’s a care issue. A gender issue. A social justice issue.
