Laiba Rashid, a 22-year-old student from Pakistan, is optimistic that her life will be transformed once she acquires the ability to operate a motorcycle. She has participated in the Women on Wheels WOW training program that instructs women on how to operate two-wheelers in the teeming eastern city of Lahore.
Despite the fact that the program is seven years old, it is uncommon to observe women operating motorcycles. In Pakistan, it is more socially acceptable for women to operate vehicles or ride while pillion on two-wheelers that are operated by a male relative.
“I am reliant on my brother to transport me to and from college, and I am hopeful that this will transform my life,” Rashid stated to Reuters on her initial day of the Women on Wheels (WOW) driving program, which is provided at no cost by the Lahore traffic police.
She stated that she intends to acquire a motorbike in order to attend college, and that her family has never had a female driver. She asserted that “now, everyone is convinced that women should be independent in their movement to schools, jobs, and markets.”
According to Bushra Iqbal Hussain, a social activist and director of Safe Childhood, an organisation that promotes the protection of female children, the act of women operating two-wheelers has been considered a cultural and religious taboo. However, she stated that a greater number of women are currently altering the culture, much like they did in the 1980s with conventional cars, in an effort to decrease their dependence on males for transportation.
The WOW program has been in operation since 2017, but it has gained traction in recent months due to the escalating cost of cars and the availability of motorcycles as a more cost-effective alternative.
“The purchasing power of the middle class has been diminished by high inflation and stagnant wage growth, resulting in motorcycles being the sole viable alternative for numerous households,” stated Muhammad Abrar Polani, an auto sector analyst at investment house Arif Habib Limited.
In Pakistan, the annual GDP per capita is $1,590, the most affordable four-wheeler costs approximately 2.3 million rupees ($8,265), while the most affordable two-wheeler is manufactured in China and costs approximately 115,000 rupees.
According to Sohail Mudassar, a traffic warden, the Women on Wheels WOW program has provided training to at least 6,600 women, with Rashid’s cohort being the 86th since its inception.
“Our camp is attended by women from a variety of societal backgrounds and ages,” stated Humaira Rafaqat, a senior traffic warden who has trained approximately 1,000 women. “Young women are adept at learning quickly due to their enthusiasm and willingness to take risks.”
One of them, Ghania Raza, 23, who is currently pursuing a doctorate in criminology, expressed that learning to operate a two-wheeler provided her with a profound sense of empowerment and accomplishment. “It was akin to shattering a glass ceiling,” she stated.
Shumaila Shafiq, 36, a mother of three and a part-time fashion designer, stated that she has been riding her husband’s motorcycle to the market and other destinations since completing the program.
She has created a unique, short-length abaya, a dress used by conservative Muslim women, that she will wear while operating the motorbike.
“Wearing a long abaya with a loose fitting poses a risk of becoming entangled in the wheels,” she stated, adding that she plans to promote the design to other female riders.
