We often equate women empowerment with parameters of obtaining education and employment opportunity. While these hold true, several other factors including ‘lack of freedom of mobility’ can hinder the process or create a dependency on others to fulfil this wish. In cities public transport offers a great medium for women to travel independently.
Personally, for me, being from a city like Mumbai, public transport including the infamous local trains and BEST buses shed light on how affordable, good connectivity and easily available transport options can solve major travel woes. One can see the always bustling ‘ladies compartment’ in local trains, with girls and women from all age groups commuting to their school, colleges, workplaces or elsewhere. In Chennai, during my internship, I observed the advantages of free bus transport for women, with occasional sightings of saree clad women on bicycles on major city roads. However, this isn’t the case in every place, when we move further into towns and villages, the availability of public transport is limited to specific areas only.
In far off villages where BHS works, women often cover distances by walking, travel on bikes with men, or through private vehicles known as Cruser or private buses – both of which navigate from main spots in villages to the nearest town/city and are overloaded with people. To reach the main roads where private vehicles are available, one must walk long distances from their homes, with some covering up to 5-10 kilometers.
In our AMRIT clinics, community outreach work involves home visits, informative sessions,
and creating stronger connections. While male health workers manage reaching remote areas on bikes, female staff often, including health workers and nurses, rely on them for transportation. This dependence sometimes leads to inefficiencies in completing tasks like conducting community sessions with Swasthya Kiran, visits to Anganwadi centers, Phulwaris, and home visits to new mothers or sick children. It also places a burden on male health workers, impacting their work efficiency.
As we sensed this, we felt the need to encourage and provide means for our senior (female) health workers for two-wheeler driving. This sounded aspirational but in reality, we were aware that it would take time for them to get accustomed to driving on difficult, hilly terrains and kuccha roads. The senior health workers mentioned how most of them only knew driving a bicycle back in childhood, yet they were full of enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. One health worker even mentioned how inspiring it was to see young college girls commuting by scooter and expressed a desire to do her field visits in the same way, feeling liberated and empowered.
To our surprise, once two wheelers were provided and the process of obtaining a learner’s license was done, our senior health worker in Ghated AMRIT clinic, Geeta, started learning and driving around in the field within a span of a week. She was supported by the clinic staff including nurse, Kali, and male health worker Bheru. In time, Manju, senior health worker at Bedawal AMRIT clinic also learnt and started driving in difficult terrain of Bedawal.
Through this shift, we’ve also seen a change in work, increasing the level of productivity for the entire staff. While efficiency in work is one aspect, the freedom to manage their own time, make independent decisions, and experience a sense of pride through the newfound mobility has been transformative. This shift has played a key role in empowering our female staff.
As a child, I was inspired by my mother, who would commute by her two-wheeler every day for work, her independence left a lasting impact on me. However, I could never gather the courage to learn one myself and relied on public transport instead. Knowing how to drive a vehicle is a much more sustainable option, it not only safeguards autonomy but also ensures security. The readiness of our female workforce on ground in adopting change, challenging norms and supported by their families has been a real example of women empowerment for me, which sets standard for those who look up to them. We now see them returning from the field to clinics, with helmets on and a beaming smile indicating their contentment!
By Sanskriti Sharma, Executive (Programs)