New Delhi, September 05: Shanno Begum, a 32-year-old Muslim widow, is impatiently looking to carve out a living by breaking into the male preserve of New Delhi taxi drivers.
“My husband died three years ago. I had three children and my parents-in-law to support,” Shanno told.
Shanno signed up last year for a program to launch New Delhi’s first radio taxi-service run by women.
“As a private nurse, I used to earn 4,500 rupees (90 dollars) a month for a 24/7 job,” she said.
“Now, I will earn the same amount working eight hours and can devote more time to my children.”
The program, the brainchild of Meenu Vadera of the Azad Foundation, a voluntary group, aims to help disadvantaged women to be financially independent.
“The goal is to establish a company with the women as stakeholders,” Vadera said.
“This way it does not look like a charity but a business run collectively.”
The female cabbies service is planned to start operation ahead of the October 2010 Commonwealth Games.
“We have trained one batch of nine women and the training of another batch of 11 is underway,” said Vadera, who aims to have five taxis on the road by February and a fleet of 20 by the time the Games begin.
New Delhi ranks the worst among Indian cities in terms of violence against women.
More than 4,300 cases of violence against women were registered in 2007-08, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
To ensure their safety, the woman drivers have received some basic self-defense instruction as part of their training.
Supplementing these are classes in grooming, etiquette and spoken English.
“I was looking at a program that would combine a livelihood for the girls with the idea of having women cab-drivers who will provide safe transport to working women in Delhi,” said Vadera.
Way-out
Many Indian women see the ambitious program a way out of their social and economic dead end.
“I jumped at the idea,” said Rita, 24, who fled her family house after suffering seven years of abuse at the hands of her parents-in-law.
“It would give me independence and the ability to support myself.”
For Ekta, a 28-year-old mother of four, the taxi project opened doors that she had thought closed to her as an illiterate woman in a conservative family.
“Persuading my husband to let me work was very difficult,” she said.
“Now I feel empowered as if I have my own identity other than a wife and mother.”
The project, however, has not been without its problems.
For instance, the commercial licence necessary to drive a taxi-cab requires a year-long wait.
“I underestimated the gender bias,” Vadera said, citing repeated questions from potential employers as to whether women could be trusted to drive safely and turn up to work on time.
“Despite my assurances, they decide against women drivers. This is despite the fact that records show women are more careful than male drivers they obey traffic rules, don’t drink and drive, don’t get into brawls on the road.”
Heena Khan, 22, is discouraged by the delays in issuing her driving licenses.
“It is disheartening that after all this hard work, we still can’t get jobs because we are women,” said Khan, who has 10-member dependent family.
“I am the sole breadwinner and no work means no food.”
-Agencies