Lucknow, April 5 (IANS) Taking a significant effort towards women’s emancipation and empowerment, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched a one of its kind scheme titled ‘Safe Mobility Program,’ centred around employment generation for female members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Under the programme, an army of female e-rickshaw pilots is being trained across the state to ensure safe, accessible, and dignified transportation for girls and women travelling to schools, workplaces, and other essential destinations.
About 1,000 e-rickshaws are initially being provided to women belonging to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The service has already been launched in the districts of Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kaushambi, and Jhansi and will be introduced shortly in other districts includind Lucknow, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra, Deoria, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Sitapur.
This initiative by the Yogi government holds special significance as it is directly linked to women’s safety and security. In rural areas, the e-rickshaw service—operated exclusively by female drivers—is emerging as an effective solution for ensuring the safety and mobility of women and girls.
The programme, being implemented under the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission with technical assistance from ‘Development Alternatives,’ has yielded impressive results so far.
Across the five districts, 119 women have been empowered as entrepreneurs through the provision of e-rickshaws. Furthermore, 629 women have received operational training, and 244 women have been issued driving licences.
Through this initiative, the participating women are not merely driving vehicles; they are also becoming the economic pillars of their families. The fact that the average annual income of women associated with this scheme has exceeded Rs 3 lakh further reinforces the success of this model.
The impact of ‘Safe Mobility’ is not limited merely to roads. It is set to facilitate easier access to schools for girls, ensure safer commutes for working women, generate new employment opportunities in villages, and enable women belonging to Self-Help Groups to set new benchmarks in self-reliance.
–IANS
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