300 women to get motorcycles today

After receiving vehicles, they will ride motorcycles on the Mall

LAHORE: Around 300 women, who have completed motorcycle training, will be handed over their two-wheelers at Al Hamra Hall on Sunday (today) as part of the Women on Wheels project.

After receiving the motorcycles, the women will ride them in a group on Mall Road.

The Chief Minister Punjab’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU), in collaboration with the Transport Department and Bank of Punjab, launched the programme. Over 3,500 women had been trained through this initiative across five districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan and Rawalpindi.

Female immobility is a major hurdle towards women empowerment in Pakistan. It is a crucial factor in the widening of the economic gap and increasing gender inequality.



SRU introduced the Women on Wheels campaign to empower women by providing them with the necessary skill-set and the means to increase their mobility and independence through the provision of free motorcycle lessons.

The brains behind this project, Salman Sufi, told Express News said that 700 motorcycles are being distributed in the initial phase. Similarly, the second phase will see 3,000 bikes handed over and the third phase will involve 1,300 two-wheelers.



Sufi said the Provincial Development Forum of the Planning and Development department provided funds of Rs80 million for this project. Motorcycles are being distributed in five districts of Punjab including Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala.



The government’s initiative will not only facilitate working women, but will also, to some extent, ease security concerns. Sufi said that motorcycles would help the commute of women working in different fields.

The government has specially chosen the colour pink for the motorcycles.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2018.