- LUMS and City Traffic Police Lahore collaborate on the “Female Rickshaw Project” to provide rickshaw driving lessons to women.
- This initiative, supported by prominent organizations and the GEA initiative from MIT’s J-PAL, aims to boost women’s economic empowerment and safe transportation.
- Female rickshaw drivers play a pivotal role in promoting gender equality, improving safety, and contributing to community well-being in Pakistan.
LUMS and the City Traffic Police Lahore have joined forces to deliver rickshaw driving instruction to women as part of the “Female Rickshaw Project.”
This initiative, in collaboration with the University of Oxford and prominent micro-finance organisations such as NRSP, Akhuwat, and RCDP, is financially supported by the GEA initiative under the Abdul-Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
City Traffic Police Lahore Gives Rickshaw Driving Lessons to Women
Under the guidance of CTO-Lahore Capt Mustansar Feroze (retd), the City Traffic Police Lahore has successfully trained 35 female participants. A team of four female officers has been appointed to impart knowledge on traffic regulations, road safety, and driving proficiency to the women involved.
Additionally, the traffic police has facilitated the female participants in obtaining their driver’s licenses.
The primary aim of the project is to establish avenues for women to generate income and provide them with secure transportation options. According to Dr. Kashif Z. Malik, an Associate Professor at LUMS, the “Female Rickshaw Project” presents a diverse array of advantages to women, encompassing economic empowerment, financial self-sufficiency, and improved mobility.
Female rickshaw drivers are poised to enhance the safety of women’s transportation and act as influential role models for others. This endeavour plays a pivotal role in fostering cultural transformations and increasing women’s active engagement in the labor force and public arenas.
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Benefits of Female Rickshaw Project
The emergence of female rickshaw drivers in Pakistan carries numerous noteworthy advantages. Firstly, it enhances the mobility of women, providing them with a safe and independent mode of transportation. This contributes to greater economic empowerment, as female rickshaw drivers have the opportunity to earn a living and achieve financial self-sufficiency.
Additionally, these women act as inspirational role models, breaking gender stereotypes and motivating other females to explore non-traditional career paths. Female rickshaw drivers significantly improve safety for female passengers, reducing the risk of harassment during travel. Their presence fosters a cultural shift towards gender equality, challenging societal norms and promoting inclusivity.
Moreover, their economic contributions have a positive impact on their families and communities, potentially enhancing overall well-being. By reducing women’s dependence on male relatives for transportation, they boost autonomy and entrepreneurship by managing their own businesses. The inclusion of female rickshaw drivers in Pakistan’s labor force contributes to a more diverse and inclusive workforce, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.
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