“Driving – a bullock cart, a truck, a car or anything else – has largely been a male activity. A driver is one who leads, and in a patriarchal society, it is the man who is considered capable of this, and indeed ‘driving’ the lives of those around him. Women and children are meant to follow.”
Jayawati Shrivastava, Lady Driver, Stories of Women Behind the Wheel
Sakha drivers come across as normal, everyday professional women getting on with their lives.
Yet, they’re anything but ordinary.Our women drivers have taken big risks to learn to drive and pushed hard to become professional chauffeurs.
Some of our drivers have had to stand up to violence in the home and stare down their abusers. Others have been belittled by their families for wanting to find work and been told that they will never succeed. Many have been berated by their community for wanting to become a driver and do a man’s job.
But they’ve all emerged victorious and today they drive for a living. Every time they put on a Sakha uniform and get behind the wheel, they encourage other women and show the next generation what’s possible.
Read on to find out inspiring stories of some of these Sakha chauffeurs.
Delhi
Geeta Kumari
Geeta, a 26-year old girl from Delhi is the sole earner of her family of 6 members.She has excellent driving skills and experience that didn’t go unnoticed. After working for 5 years with Sakha she was promoted to being adriving faculty for the new trainees at Azad. Last year she applied for a driver’s job with USAID and was selected. Geeta and two other women drivers are now working with USAID in Delhi as their first women recruits in this role.
Babli
Babli is 24- years old resident from Delhi. Shelives with her parents, brothers and sisters. Her fatherquit working sometime back because of health issues. She took training at Azad and was working as a private chauffer for 1 and half year, while pursuing her studies. She recently finished her B.A. and is currently working with Sakha’s cab hire service since a year.
Jaipur
Shimla
Married at seven and working as a household cook, Shimla jumped at the chance to achieve her dreams and learn to drive with Azad Foundation. Post her training, Shimla became one of the first set of female commercial drivers in Jaipur and was acknowledged as one of Rajasthan’s first woman chauffeur by Minister of Transportation, Shri Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.
Mamta Sharma
26-years old Mamta was married at the age of 16 and suffered a very tormented marriage with constant physical abuses and harassment. She left her family with her 2 daughters andjoinedWOW training at Azad. She became commercial driver with Sakha and the stability she received changed her life completely. She manages her daughters’ expenses and pays for them to get good education. She also bought a scooter on EMI and once that is complete, she aspires to buy 2 plots under her daughters’ name.
Kolkata
Esnotara Bibi
Esnotara had an unhappy marriage filled with domestic abuse. She left her husband’s house in village and started living in Kolkata. She joined Azad’s WOW programme to be self-sustained and take care of her children. Post her training, she was hired by Park Hotel, Kolkata as a valet driver. She supports her children’s education and lives in a rented place by herself. Once shy, village girl who couldn’t step out of the house, has now become fearless and independent professional who can return home after a late-night shift. She desires to give her children higher education and buy her own house.
Sajira Laskar
Sajira comes from a very resource-poor family in Kolkata. Given her family’s condition, she couldn’t study higher. She joined Azad with the aim of earning substantial livelihood with dignity. Her profound technical and professional skills made her a confident and independent individual. She has now managed to give her family a better life and secured future.
Indore
Radha Rathore
Married at 17, Radha suffered abuse from her husband and in-laws for dowry. She left her husband’s house and started staying with her parents. Determined to get her life back on track, she joined WOW programme in spite of resistance from her family. So firm was her goal, that she finished her training in just 4 months. Now, she has a stable income and has earned a profound respect from her family. She bought herself a two-wheeler and aims to buy her own car soon.