Women’s voices power bold new transport campaign

A campaign created by women, for women is set to transform perceptions of the transport industry and inspire a new generation to step into careers behind the wheel and beyond.

Inner Qualities, designed and developed by women colleagues at Go North East, the region’s largest transport employer, launched on Monday, 8 September with a powerful message: “They say she can’t. We say she can.”

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Newcastle United’s Demi Stokes joined the women behind the campaign at a special launch event, standing alongside the drivers, engineers, managers and graduates who brought it to life.

Women’s voices, front and centre

What makes Inner Qualities unique is that every part of it, from the concept to the videos and billboards, was shaped by the lived experiences of women already working in transport.

They’ve shared what it feels like to face stereotypes, be told to hold back, or expected to behave a certain way, and turned those stories into a rallying call for change.

Doubling the change

Currently, just 10% of bus drivers in the UK are women. Go North East has pledged to double that number, symbolised by two campaign buses: one already filled with the company’s women colleagues, the other waiting to be filled with the women who will join in the years ahead.

The campaign also forms part of Go-Ahead Group’s wider ambition to achieve a 50/50 gender balance across all bus companies by 2035.

Quotes

Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, said: “My vision is for a North East where ambition is met with support, and no one is held back by outdated expectations. With over one million women living and working in our region, we have the potential to shape a fairer, more inclusive future. I’m proud to stand alongside the women making that future a reality.”

Demi Stokes, Newcastle United and former England Lioness, said: "I know what it feels like to be told you can’t - and how powerful it is to prove that you can. That’s why I’m proud to support this campaign. It shows women and girls that their inner qualities, not stereotypes, are what truly matter."

Laura Sharp, Head of Marketing at Go North East, said: "Inner Qualities is unique because it belongs to the women who created it. Their voices, experiences, and determination are at the heart of this campaign - showing the next generation that strength and belief matter more than stereotypes."

Join the journey

The journey is only just beginning - and the next chapter belongs to the women who choose to join.

Women interested in driving, engineering, or office-based careers can find out more and apply at gonortheast.co.uk/careers.