A hundred female auto drivers boldly wore khaki shirts, some with saris and the rest with salwar kameez, pottus, and jasmine strings. This scenario, which took place at the EA Hotel in Chennai, left an indelible impact on Jai Bharathi, who is riding a Jawa 42 around the country. Jai, an architect and a motorcycle enthusiast, launched the Moving Boundaries campaign on October 11 with a simple goal in mind: to raise awareness and encourage women to learn to drive in order to improve their employment.
With this goal in mind, she founded the MOWO Foundation (Moving Women Social Initiatives Foundation) in Hyderabad in 2019. Since then, she has trained 1,500 women from her city's self-help groups and Government Degree College in how to ride bikes and autos, some of whom have used it to make a living.
The Moving Boundaries campaign is being carried out by Jai and Srishti Bakshi, who trekked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir a few years ago to raise awareness about violence against women. During her walk, Srishti met Jai, with whom she shared similar views on women's empowerment.
Srishti joined MOWO in 2020, where she is in charge of fundraising and collaborations, as well as the back-end work while Jai is on the road.
Jai began his journey in Hyderabad and travelled through Chennai, Kochi, Udupi, and Goa. Currently, she is in Mumbai.
Surat, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Jaipur, Amritsar, Srinagar, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Patna, Guwahati, Kolkata, Ranchi, and Bhubaneshwar will all be visited during the 40-day tour.
She was pleasantly delighted to witness a huge turnout of women car drivers, as well as a few women forklift operators and a COVID-ambulance driver, during her quick trip in Chennai.
“Their stories are amazing. Their families are supportive,” says Jai. Some of the women mentioned that when they go for family functions, they wear their uniform and people look at them in awe. If this format is working out so well in Chennai, Jai believes it can and should be replicated in other cities as well. “Through MOWO we also showcase the works of organisations like ANEW in Chennai and Azad Foundation in Kolkata, that are working with women in mobility,” says Jai.
“There have been women who have had to quit their jobs because they did not know how to get to work,” she adds.
According to Jai, it is critical to raise awareness about why women require mobility and how it might benefit them. Driving to work, sending their children off at school, driving cabs, or delivering deliveries are all possibilities. Having this talent brings up a plethora of new work opportunities for them.
She recounts an incident that occurred in Erode, Tamil Nadu. During Ayudha pooja, Jai and her team were cycling through the little town when they came across a lady performing puja in a shop.
“I noticed there were two TVS XL Champ bikes parked outside the shop. One belonging to the lady and the other to her husband. The lady, a tailor, said she wanted her own two wheeler so she could go out and buy raw materials as and when needed, instead of depending on her husband,” says Jai, pleased at the self-sufficiency of the woman.
Another lady, dressed in a nightie, approached Jai at the same time. She was so happy to see Jai and her motorcycle that she mounted on and took pictures while insisting that Jai accompany her for the remainder of the campaign.
“When you see a woman on a motorbike, it is inspiring,” says Jai. She adds, “When more women take to the roads and are self dependent, they tend to feel safe.”
