ISLAMABAD: The last decade of women friendly initiatives introduced by public and private sector opened new avenues for women to excel, but the dream of their equality and empowerment in every field is still yet to be realized.
Women were contributing marvelously in diversified fields of medical, engineering, journalism, politics, fashion designing, teaching and many others and now a new field of `cab driving’ is formally ready to take their services.
The newly launched cab service by a company `Careem’, busting the myth that `Driving a cab is not a respectable job for women to do’, is ready to provide the women a decent earning opportunity.
“It is a proven fact that women are more careful drivers as compared to men. Women never drive rashly and they are responsible to an extent that sometime they are termed as coward drivers.”, Anam Nazir, a government employee said.
Talking to APP, she said, this newly cab-service will really make those women economically stable who are skilled and in need of a respectable earning source.
Shagufta Shahid, a housewife said, “It will be more convenient for women to travel with women drivers in certain situations if they are not well and have to rush to the hospital in emergency”.
She said, “this facility will also help female students largely and working women who sometime avoid using cabs due to rude behaviour of male drivers.
Nigarish, a student of MBA said that some fields were once considered as `no go areas’ for women but now women are creating their space everywhere which is good’.
“We are proud that the first ever Pakistani woman Rafia has joined Bomb Disposal Unit and will defuse bombs. Now the general perception about women as delicate creatures is changing”, she said.
This unique cab-service has become talk of the town soon after its announcement for hiring women as drivers. The service is getting more fame through different networks of social media.
“Finally Careem has launched its women drivers in Pakistan! Good step for women empowerment. Now its even more comfortable.”, Komal Shahid tweeted.
Senator Sherry Rehman tweeted, “Women drivers will change the game for Careem”.
Launched in Dubai in 2012, Careem has a global force of 90,000plus drivers and more than four million users registered through its mobile app.
The service has started hiring women drivers in the cities of Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi.
Careem’s Pakistan General Manager Ahmed Usman says, “We want to give women the same opportunities and the same chance that men have of leveraging our platform to generate healthy income”.
