Haor girls in driver’s seat

In recent times, self-reliance -- be it formal or informal -- has become the goal of many, and with the changing economic landscape, unconventional form of earning livelihood is taking root.

Beyond the customary professions, women and girls living in haor areas are taking up driving as an income-generating activity, and thus becoming self-reliant.

The Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project under the Local Government and Rural Engineering Department has played a key role in this regard.

The project financed by The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has brought women out of their traditional periphery of work and helped them think out of the box.

“I want to become self-reliant and reduce pressure on my parents as they are struggling to make their ends meet,” said Bablee Akter hailing from Sadar upazila in Sunamgaj district.

“I do not care how the society looks at it. At least I do not think driving is a bad profession. Both male and female can come to this profession,” she argued.

Bablee received training on driving under the project along with 40 other poor, unemployed young girls from five haor districts -- Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Habiganj, Sunamganj and Brahmanbaria.

A total of Tk 7,62,000 was spent on 28 days residential training for 40 women at Bangladesh Road and Transport Corporation’s Central training Institute in Gazipur. The livelihood improvement project incorporates various components, and imparting driving training is one of them.

“People frequently pass comments when seeing us drive, but I take everything positively,” said Sohana, another girl who received training under the project.

“Many women are rich, they drive their own car, but I am poor and have taken the driver’s seat to earn bread and run family smoothly.”

Shohana who studied till 12th grade said she is the first woman who took this profession, and her husband provided her with unqualified support in this regard. Talking to The Business Post, IFAD Country Director Arnoud Hameleers said: “This is a great beginning, but we need to arrange more training so there are enough income opportunities for women and youth in the remote areas of Bangladesh. Such diverse skills training would allow women to become key agents of Bangladesh’s rural economy in near future.

According to Bangladesh Road and Transport Authority, 41,33,260 driving licences have been issued from 1987 to June 2021. Of them, the number of women licensees is too small. Sources said 13,064 females have tooken professional driving training from the government training facility so far. The new professional drivers have started driving rented car, but they prefer a fixed job in government, NGO or company offices to enjoy the profession well enough. “We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the BRTC that will help the neophyte female drivers get employment as per the vacancies. Besides, we will try to find them jobs in other offices as well,” said LGED Project Planning and Implementation Specialist Habibur Rahman.

“Women have been trained on the basic driving and traffic rules associated with driver’s behaviour, motor vehicle ordinance and other related topics for safe and eco-friendly driving. All the trainees have passed the test for licence and are waiting to receive it.”

“In haor areas, men struggle for employment round the year. The driving training programme will help them to become self-employed,” he said.

According to the BRTC officials, the number of female trainees is increasing day by day, however, females are far behind in driving profession compared to their male counterparts. On the other hand, those who received training are also worried about getting jobs.

Fatima Begum, deputy general manager (Training), BRTC, told The Business Post, “We will hire more female drivers based on the vacancies in the corporation. Besides, we are trying to manage jobs for them in different organisations.”

Scope for female drivers is increasing, and a change has started, she said, adding that now female drivers are getting hired for driving personal cars carrying women and children.