In a speech heavy with symbolism as the country celebrates Navratri, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that those who say women “can’t do it”, are wrong.
The “it” in this case was the state transport department’s initiative to appoint women as drivers and conductors in buses.
Speaking at an event in Ayodhya, the chief minister flagged off 51 buses that will have women drivers and conductors.
He also congratulated the transport department and minister Daya Shankar Singh for the initiative.
“When women are self-dependent; they will be respected. When they are independent, they are respected. They shall scale the heights of development,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Police has recently raised its first batch all woman squad.
“Today more than 1.5 lakh daughters are employed in the government and the police. They are also pilots,” he said, emphasising the fact that it was the push of the country’s Prime Minster, Narendra Modi which had made this possible.
“One who stands by you in times of trouble is your true companion. One who betrays you is not. Today our daughters are your charioteers under Mission Shakti and they will help you navigate your path,” said the CM.
Mission Shakti is a state government programme for the safety of girls/women. It is currently in its fourth phase wherein the emphasis is on spreading maximum awareness about it.
Uttar Pradesh is one of the few states in which women work as bus drivers. Some of the other cities which have them are New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Jaipur. The numbers might seem insignificant as in New Delhi where only 35 such drivers were hired on a contractual basis earlier this year.
According to a report by the International Labour Organisation, violence against transport workers is one of the most important factors limiting the attraction of transport jobs for women. It also impacts retention of such women drivers in what is almost always seen as a man’s job. Thus the creation of safe workspaces is essential to attract and retain more women in the job.