Transport for female students

As long as she thinks of a man,
nobody objects to a woman thinking.
—Virginia Woolf, Orlando

In societies blighted by hypocrisy, some notions despite possessing enormous practical worth and value are neither accepted nor promoted. The ethical codes of all religions without any exception grant equal rights to the Eve’s daughter to live as freely and fully on this earthly abode as to the Adam’s son. However, girls on bicycles and motorcycles do not make a common scene in our society though there is nothing objectionable in it by any yardstick of morality, sanity or culture. Practically it can prove beneficial for families in their needs and means of conveyance. Nevertheless male motorcyclists with their vehicles and onlookers with their ogling eyes leave no opportunity to harass them.

Hazrat Asma supplied food on the camel’s back to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and her father Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) who had taken refuge in the cave of Thawr during the migration from Makkah to Madina in 622 AD. She had to traverse a long distance through the rugged mountains all alone in the dead of night. For this task, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) bestowed upon her the tittle ‘Zatul Nataqain’ as she tied food to the camel’s back with her own cloth belt.

Girls from far flung areas stop short of completing their education because they don’t afford public transport owing to its shortage, unavailability and women-unfriendly service. Further their male patrons do not shoulder the responsibility of their daily ferrying. So if we let our women go solo on two wheelers, it will unburden the male members. With some families girls being elder among siblings can not only commute for themselves but also shuttle their younger siblings to schools.

Orphan and/or brotherless girls are left with no other choice but to confine themselves to homes. Or they have to use for short distances auto rickshaws which limit their incidental travelling owing to their heavy fares and lack of liberty to stop off at more places than one. Tarrying for public transport wastes time which students do not afford as they have to reach educational institutions on time. It goes without saying that one’s personal conveyance reduces uncertainty and unpredictability of reaching one’s destination on time.

Instead of handing out cold-comfort scholarships and financial support programmes, governments should provide girls with transport to facilitate their access to schools. Though at college and university levels, college buses strain to cater to students’ needs, they are insufficient. But so far no such service has been initiated for public schools for girls. Till then, more girls schools be set up within the walking distance to mitigate the ordeal of the peripatetic students.

Girls from rural areas face the real blow because of long distances from schools. There, the utopian idea of girls on two wheelers is considered a taboo. People should acknowledge the gravity of transport problems for girls, and strive to bring a metanoic turnaround about the educational needs of women. On a smaller scale, local governments and wealthy village elders should contract local and private transporters to run vehicles free between their village and schools.

Even NGOs and philanthropists should donate funds to transport companies to run passenger vehicles free of fares exclusively for girl students. We see NGOs donating dowry and arranging wedding ceremonies for deserving families. They should also pay attention to the transport problems faced by girl students.

It stipulates iconoclastic defiance of social mores that women motorcyclists should be encouraged as it benefits both male and female members of family. Parents, teachers and media will have to brainwash the misogynistic mindset to pay respect and create room for girls on motorcycles. The means of transport cannot be labelled as per human gender. Traffic police must form laws to discipline the miscreants for their blithe disregard for existential rights of women. CCTV cameras installed along the roads must mark the peddlers of harassment on roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2023.

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