Shell Foundation, a UK based charity, and the UK Government in association with Moving Women Social Initiatives Foundation (MOWO) have launched ‘Moving Boundaries’, a campaign to encourage women to pick up driving skills and remove roadblocks within the ecosystem to increase their job prospects in transportation businesses including as taxi and e-rickshaw drivers or delivery agents for e-commerce companies.
Under this campaign, Jai Bharathi, founder of MOWO is touring India on her motorbike from October 11th for a period of over 40 days and covering over 20 cities to create awareness and encourage women to learn driving to increase their job opportunities. Today, Ms Bharathi reached Jaipur on the current leg of her tour.
The campaign seeks to promote awareness of the importance of women acquiring the power of driving and traveling safely to expand their horizons in all aspects of their lives.
‘Even Cargo’, a social enterprise providing training, employment, and electric vehicle ownership to women drivers are also supporting this campaign.
As part of the campaign, a WhatsApp-based chatbot has been rolled out for women who would like to learn to drive a two or three-wheeled vehicle or apply for a job as a taxi, auto, or delivery rider. Any interested person can express their interest by dropping “Hi” on the WhatsApp number +91 8885916606 and the chatbot will connect them to nearby partner organizations like Even Cargo which offer training and employment opportunities to women. The chat support is available in multiple languages.
Commenting on ‘Moving Boundaries’, Ms. Jai Bharathi, Founder of MOWO said, “Women all over the world face restrictions on their mobility. They are unable to travel a long distances to acquire decent education or take up jobs that involve complex or unsafe commutes which results in a restricted pool of job opportunities. I am very excited to take on this 40-day journey on my motorbike across the country to meet women from all strata and hold workshops to make driving an aspirational and achievable employment choice for them.
Speaking on the partnership, Mrs. Shipra Nayyar of Shell Foundation said, “We launched ‘Moving Boundaries’ to promote safe, affordable, and clean transportation for women for better access to basic amenities like healthcare, education, and jobs.