International Women’s Day: Women drivers on the wheel of change

Shirin Ansari: Female car driver from Mumbai

Picture this: a rainy day in Mumbai. When a car pulls up in front of you on the chaotic, wet streets of Mumbai, you reach out to hail it. You quickly sat in to escape the wet drizzle. When you look up at the driver’s seat to tell “auto waale bhaiya” your destination, you see something unusual. A turbaned figure smiles at you and says, “This car wales is not a bhaiya, but a didi.”This is not just an imagined scenario but a reality that is taking shape on the streets not just of Mumbai but of different cities across India.At the wheel of the auto-rickshaw is Shirin Ansari, known as the “Dabangg Lady”, as she navigates not only heavy traffic but also a maze of social scorn.

It’s been eight years since she first revved up her own car, the three-wheeled orange beast she owns. Although the car was originally intended for her injured son, it was clear that the machine had had a different owner all along, one that would go on to achieve the destinations and life milestones Ansari was on the road to.Shireen’s story and the stories of hundreds like her are moving the wheels of change. These women were not only responsible for transporting passengers; They are dismantling the bastion of gender, one kilometer at a time, in a profession that has long been dominated by men. However, it would be unfair to mention pioneers like Limca world record holder Shila Dawre, who has been recognized and ranked as India’s first female car driver. With just 12 rupees in her pocket, she took charge of the direction of her life and later became a successful entrepreneur, setting up her own travel company Vighnaharta Tourism in Pune.Being a car driver for more than 13 years paved the way for future generations of women to enter the non-traditional, male-dominated career of public transportation. She was also honored by the President of India as one of the “First Ladies” of India, a title given to women who are the first to set milestones in their respective fields.Bottom line? When we usually refer to careers ranging from white-collar jobs like doctors and CEOs to careers like driving auto-rickshaws, these women are really going the extra mile.By repurposing these spaces, they are disrupting gender norms and redefining what it means to celebrate femininity in the modern world.

this ‘Ms. DabangMumbai’s

Schilling is not your regular visitor. She’s practically a celebrity now. The respect and recognition she has earned, of course, includes “brother motorists” and the locals. However, it also applies to some famous Bollywood personalities. That’s why her job also landed her roles in movies.Fame came unexpectedly: Director Leena Yadav, popular for her feminist film Dry, was spotted on her way to the hospital in her lit-up orange rickshaw. Then she pulled her into a movie Jacqueline Fernandez.“I was nervous and I told her, don’t act. But she was very nice to me and she said don’t worry, we will teach you this,” Shireen exclaims, recalling the love-filled scene on set for Chichdi and the first time she found out she would be working with Jacqueline Fernandez.Television celebrities like Archana Puran Singh came to meet her after hearing about her.

However, it wasn’t all rosy for her when it all started.Fifteen years ago, her marriage became strained due to the shadow of triple talaq, and she got divorced and became a single mother of three.She took a loan of Rs 4.5 lakh from her hard-earned savings to buy an auto-rickshaw. Although she originally bought the car for her son, she had no idea it would eventually become a lifeline for herself.“I was very nervous,” she recalled in a candid interview. “The car sat idle for two months while I struggled to pay the weekly EMIs.”Before taking the helm, she worked as a patient attendant in a hospital, supported her family and even dabbled in a biryani stall. However, this dream ended in financial loss after the stalls were shut down during BMC raids.Under increasing financial pressure and constant encouragement from friends, she finally decided to take the reins herself.

Shirin Ansari, a female auto driver, welcomed and respected with garlands along with her “brother auto drivers”

Although she was a hesitant driver at first, her bravery did not go unnoticed. When she went to collect her official permit, officials present erupted in cheers. They witnessed a milestone as she became the first woman in her area to receive a commercial driver’s license for the vehicle.Now, she works 12 to 14 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with no breaks in between.“I drive according to the rules – don’t run red lights, don’t go the wrong way, follow the rules and principles. The police salute me,” she smiled, as passengers applauded and college students lined up to take photos and tell stories.Shireen’s “Miss Da Bang” nickname? Born out of a collar-busting showdown with eve teasers who mistook her for easy prey.“They were trying to have fun; I fought back,” she laughs, her car a rolling testament to steel’s soft power.

Women in male-dominated fields

Shireen’s personal journey from struggling single mother to local celebrity is part of a larger national shift in India’s workforce.While she was once “nervous” about her idle vehicle, she is now one of the pioneers entering the informal transport sector – a sector where women hold only around 12% of all driving licenses as of 2020.This movement is particularly important in states like Karnataka, where women account for only 6% of professional drivers, according to Ms. Chhavi Mathur’s The Rise of Women in Leadership, Second Edition.By taking the helm, women like Shireen are doing more than earning fares, they are asserting their “right to the city” and taking back public roads that have historically been seen as male-dominated spaces.Research shows that family stress, such as being widowed, divorced or the male breadwinner losing his or her job, is often a major trigger for women to enter this profession. However, this path to independence comes with significant financial risks.A study of drivers in Chennai found that 93 per cent of women had outstanding vehicle loans, with the average amount usually exceeding Rs 1.41 lakh. While the work funds children’s education and improves their families’ circumstances, many remain vulnerable to economic downturns, such as those seen during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when some drivers were unable to pay rent for months.

In addition to individual survival, these drivers act as “catalysts for social transformation.”When women drive cars, it changes the way cities work and feel. Many female passengers say they feel an “increased sense of security” when they see a woman behind the wheel, especially during late-night commutes. This creates a safer urban network and builds a supportive “sisterhood” among drivers.Despite these benefits, the “perseverance” required is enormous.Some women in cities like Pune say they need to adopt “masculine attitudes” and behave more confidently to face social stigma and harassment on the road.As Shilling said, “When I was driving a rickshaw, a lot of people looked at me badly. A lot of people tried to shake my hand. A lot of people used to ride in the rickshaw and play with me.”“Why did I do this? There are many ways to do this. Then I grabbed them by the collar and beat them. That’s how my name, Ms. Da Bang, came about,” she added.

Gears of change: plans to support female drivers

To support the rise of female leadership, government and institutional programs are beginning to provide the necessary “cogs” for change. These initiatives go beyond issuing licenses; they focus on building a sustainable ecosystem for women in transportation.

For this movement to continue, cities must invest in “pink bus stations” that include appropriate lighting, CCTV and public toilets to ensure driver safety.Shireen’s story of solidarity, symbolized by garlands presented by fellow rickshaw pullers, stands in stark contrast to the invisible wall faced by many others.

“Working reduces the chance of marriage”

Attempting to record the story of another female car driver revealed a different side of reality.A Delhi car driver, who did not want to be named, covered his face for fear of being recognized. She explained that because she was unmarried, she did not want her identity to be exposed.Although she was initially eager to share her journey, her brother stepped in and “denied” her an interview with TOI. When asked about her reluctance to do so despite her assurances of anonymity, she explained that she was not married and could not risk anyone other than her immediate family discovering her work.“Since I am not married yet, what if this becomes an issue one day? No one knows that I drive a rickshaw except my family, which means my mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law.”Her response revealed a painful reality.For many unmarried women in this profession, driving remains a secret to protect their “image” and marriage prospects. They are caught in a gender paradox, skilled and willing to move around the city but constrained by the permission of their male family members.In public spaces, they have to pay a “character tax” and their morals are called into question simply for going out to work.While International Women’s Day celebrates the progress women have made in taking back public space, many are still waiting for the movement to reach them and allow them to live their lives on their own terms.