Behind the wheel: How women drivers navigate roads and social barriers

Before 2018, women in Saudi Arabia were banned from driving any type of vehicle, and if caught, were punished, detained, or arrested. But that changed for good on 24 June of that year — the day when Saudi Arabia lifted the ban.

In 2021, Women's World Car of the Year, which consists of 55 female motoring journalists from 40 countries, nominated 24 June to be the International Women Drivers' Day, aiming to draw attention to the importance of women in the automotive world.

Bangladesh, in recent years, has seen a surge in the number of women drivers due to improved roads, economic growth, and changing social norms. More and more women are taking the wheel, from dropping off kids at school to even running their own Uber business. 

More and more women are taking the wheel in Bangladesh, from dropping off kids at school to even running their own ride-sharing business. Photo: WoW Bangladesh

With this change in mind, this year, MJL Bangladesh PLC (Strategic Alliance Partner of ExxonMobil in Bangladesh) has decided to celebrate the day for the first time in Bangladesh to raise awareness about the challenges female drivers face behind the wheels and inspire them to drive forward while breaking all stereotypes.

These are the stories of our women drivers.

No more waiting for a driver 

From an early age, Tanaz Banni saw that she, along with other female members of her family, had to wait for someone, preferably male members of her family, to drive them somewhere. She did not like waiting and wanted to learn driving so that when she grew up, she would not have to depend on someone else.

Photo: WoW Bangladesh

In 2014, Tanaz first sat on the driving seat of one of her friend's cars and learnt the basics of driving. 

"I felt that I needed to have my own car to learn driving without any hesitation. So I bought one," she said.

In 2020, amid the pandemic, she bought her first car and for the last four years, the head of business and strategic planning of Sygmaz Event Management has been driving herself. 

"I believe if you really want to be independent, you need to have a vehicle of your own that you are comfortable in and you must be able to travel without worrying whether someone is available to drive you," Tanaz said.

According to Kazi Farhana, founder of Women on Wheel (WoW) Bangladesh, an organisation that teaches women to drive motor vehicles, "As harsh as it may sound, mostly the women who come from privileged backgrounds drive cars for their personal needs rather than for professional reasons. 

Photo: WoW Bangladesh

"And the reason is that they can afford to own a personal transport, be it a car or a bike. Nowadays though, more urban women, mostly jobholders, are opting for scooters or bikes to avoid insecure public transport experiences," she added.

Driving as a profession 

However, Bangladeshi women from different socio-economic classes are now driving motor vehicles as a profession. 

Leuza Akter Kristy, the first female Uber car driver of Bangladesh, decided to take this profession because as a mother, she had to take responsibilities of her children as well as her family.  

In an earlier interview with The Business Standard, Leuza had said, "I have to earn for my family, that is all I understand. I do not think about whether the job is conventional or not."

Leuza started her career as a singer, however, after childbirth, she had to take a year-long break from her singing profession. When her husband also lost his job, Leuza decided to take the job of an Uber driver. 

"I never liked the idea of working under a boss. And besides, I thought that if I drive, we would not have to sell our car," she said. 

As a secondary school graduate, Leuza did not want to get into a low-paying job. "As an Uber driver, I earn a lot more than any average low-salary job. Also, I can spend time with my kids and my family. And I can practise my singing during my free hours. It's a win-win situation for me," she said.  

Similarly, at 20 years of age, Sheli Akther worked as one of the pre-primary school teachers of Brac in Sunamganj when she learnt about the free driving lessons that Brac provides. In 2014, she, along with 11 other women from the haor areas of Sunamganj, applied for the training sessions and got accepted. 

Separated from her husband, Sheli was living in her parents house with two children and leaving them behind for six months for the training was not easy for her.

"People said many things when I said I wanted to learn driving. They tried to stop me. I knew I had to do something to raise my kids. So I decided to ignore what they are saying about me and finally left for Dhaka," Sheli said.

In January 2015, Sheli joined as a driver for a Banani family for Tk8,000 salary per month. Her responsibility was to carry the daughter to school and bring her back home. Sheli worked there for three months and lost the job when the family moved abroad. 

After that, she returned to her home in Sunamganj and after a three-month gap, interviewed for Bangladesh Water Development Board, where she worked as a driver for the next five years. In this position, Sheli was given an English speaking course by the organisation and assigned to drive foreign clients. Later, she worked for the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) for three years. 

"When I started to earn Tk60,000 a month, no one else said anything anymore," Sheli said. With the money she earned, she sent her nephews abroad, helped her sister, and both of her kids are now in high school. 

"Everyone in my village now wants to know how I did it and women want to learn driving from me," she added. 

According to Captain Abdul Quddus, the driving instructor of Brac driving school, 135 more women like Sheli have been trained as motor vehicle drivers by the organisation, which has been educating female drivers since 2012. 

"The project 'Four Wheels to Freedom' was initiated with the target to include women in the driving profession and to provide an income generation skill to poor, disadvantaged women who would otherwise spend their life managing their households," Captain Quddus said. 

Women can do it too 

Shamim Nasreen, a journalist working at one of the online news portals in Bangladesh, has been driving her scooter for the last five years. "As a journalist, it was convenient for me to move on a scooty rather than public transport and it was not just because of saving time, I couldn't take the hassle on those transports," she said.

However, there are still difficulties on the roads. "Many passed comments, one vehicle even tried to push me towards the edge of the street. I guess this is a given until there are more and more female drivers on the road," Nasreen added. 

Another woman driver, Jasmin Moli, cannot remember exactly when she planned to ride a scooter. However, since 2015, she had been planning to buy one. But prices were too high for her. Later, around 2019, she learnt driving from Jabo Bohudur, a scooter driving training school, and in October she bought her own vehicle. 

"Although I owned my own motor vehicle, I did not dare to go on the road; seeing all those cars would give me chills. I went out with my scooty once or twice a month," she said.

And then the pandemic hit. 

Public transportation had been halted at the time. Office cars were reserved for seniors only. And CNG and rickshaw fares were so high that Moli could not afford those. 

"Then I thought, why am I struggling so much, I have my own vehicle. I started riding my scooter regularly from mid-2020. Now I do not travel inside Dhaka without a scooter," she said.

While driving on the road, many give advice to her on how to drive well. Many say negative things, including her not being able to drive. "Some just honk their horns at me. Seeing a male passenger riding on my backseat, many stare." 

But Moli drives on.

Tips for beginner women drivers 

As a beginner driver what should a woman keep in mind?

"Just keep your eyes on the road and do not listen to what other people are saying," Sheli said. 

While driving, there have been many instances when Sheli has encountered amateur drivers, while some pass comments. 

"But I must keep in mind that I am a trained and certified driver. Even if someone makes mistakes, I have to be super focused, make the right decision and handle the situation," she said.