Padma Patnaik

With a view to mark the International Women’s Day, CYSD launched an unique programme ‘Women on Wheels’ (WoW) in last March. WoW programme is to empower poor women to become professional drivers enabling them to gain remunerative ‘livelihoods with dignity’. This would help the disadvantaged girls and women come out of veil and take control over the resources as well as break the gender stereotypes of the male dominated commute system in partnership with AZAD Foundation, and Mahindra Finance. The programme will also enhance their awareness on rights and enable them to become independent and confident individuals in charge of their lives. WoW works with young women mostly aged 18-35, living in urban slums and resettlement colonies in cities, with too little economic capital. Most of them are either out of work, or work in low paid professions.

The  programme not only teaches driving but also makes a women stronger by providing every types of exposure during the training programme as the trainees would learn driving and complete 3 modules, like (i) Technical Module (Learners Module, Maruti Driving School, Permanent License, on Road Practice, self drive and map reading); (ii) Self Development Module (English, communication, first aid, work readiness); and (iii) Empowerment Module (Self Defense, Gender and Legal Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Health). In addition to this, the trainee will get the Insurance Policy on accident and a uniform.

To mobilize the potential candidates, CYSD organized community level meetings in different slum areas among candidates, parents and community. The objective of the meeting was to know the availability of potential resource-poor women and willingness to be driving as their profession.

So far 24 candidates from different urban slums are selected through rigorous selection process. They have attended the induction programme organised in mid April and subsequently enrolled as first batch with the Maruti Driving School. Now they are undergoing practical classes and simulation training.