Five years ago, when I went to Chennai on a short visit, the autorickshaw I hired from the station was driven by a woman. I remember being pleasantly surprised about it, even more so beacuse I did not have to rudely bargain with a male autorickshaw driver, who would bring everything from my gender, caste, language and clothing into the argument. Today, there are many women autorickshaw drivers in Chennai, but those numbers haven’t made it easier for them. This video on female autorickshaw drivers in Chennai speaks about the struggle and harassment they undergo everyday and yet they continue doggedly at their new professions.
Kanchana Bhaskar one of the women featured in the video talks about daily harassment from male drivers – they threw away her auto keys when she left them in the vehicle. Her vehicle’s tyres were punctured. She was also assaulted, when she argued with them on this matter.
“The men drivers say, if more and more of you start driving the rickshaws, what will happen to our incomes?” said Kanchana Bhaskar in the video.
Yet rickshaw companies have reported that every month more women are signing up to work as drivers. A salute to these women who continue to work while facing all kinds of odds. Here’s the video about them.
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