Women auto drivers determined to overcome obstacles
Deepika Pasham
Hyderabad
Driving a three or four-wheeler is an unlikely profession for women as the field is dominated by men.
But the female autorick drivers of Hyderabad give the message that women must be brave to excel in any profession. “Our payments are delayed for years and we are harassed by men, but we still try to encourage everybody,” they said. A housewife lost her husband 10 years ago and began working at a cloth shop in Begum Bazaar. She is survived by two daughters and a son and was being paid Rs 11,000 a month while working at Begum Bazaar. She also worked as a cook and as a maid to make ends meet.
“I invested in an autorick and bought it with a loan. This journey is difficult as we face harassment by men who hire our autorick just to run their hands on our body,” she said.
Two other women autorick drivers also spoke to ‘The Pioneer.’ “Our payments are delayed. There were instances when we used to drop and pick up schoolchildren and had to wait for a year for payment. The parents come in the beginning requesting to take their children to schools but later we are left with no money.”
A woman autorick driver named Saraswathi said that she was applauded by her passengers once. “I was taking passengers and the family of a young male autorick driver who was about to sell his vehicle saw me. He pointed out me as an example of resilience. That was a proud moment.” All women drivers gave the message that no matter what women must explore difficult professions and if they are determined they will achieve success one day.
