Community initiative driving equal rights

Sometimes the little details make the biggest difference. In India, where equal rights have yet to mean equal opportunities, it is all in the details. For instance, there are far fewer women than men driving on the country’s roads. Yet driving is an incredibly powerful tool for independence; something NGOs have been quick to understand could serve many women.

Over the past years a number of initiatives have been rolled out to provide Indian women with easier access to cars and driving. Indeed, the sector is promising enough for companies like For-She to appear and grow throughout the country. The business model is built around providing women with access to jobs usually restricted to men, such as commercial driving or personal protection.

However, not all initiatives are for-profit; in Chennai alone, a number of small non-profit organizations such as the Association for Non-Traditional Employment (ANEW) or Human Trip have been offering women free driving lessons and the opportunity to become Auto-rickshaw drivers. Michelin India has joined the effort by offering free training at its site in Chennai. With four hours of classes a day, the program has already enrolled 14 soon-to-be female drivers. With so many ongoing initiatives, women drivers have hit the ground running and they’re going fast.