Ten women received professional driver certificates at an event organised by BRAC's Road Safety Programme at BRAC Centre in Mohakhali, Dhaka on Monday.
The event, titled Women Behind the Wheel: Celebrating Achievement, Advancing Road Safety and Inclusive Transport, marked the completion of an intensive three-month residential training programme covering theoretical and practical driving instruction, English communication skills, and gender and safeguarding awareness. So far, BRAC Driving School has trained 159 women as professional drivers.
Stakeholders at the event noted that despite growing demand, the number of professional women drivers in Bangladesh remains negligible, and that high-quality training and a shift in societal attitudes are essential to establish women in the profession.
State Minister for Railways and Road Transport Habibur Rashid, the chief guest, said the newly certified drivers had become "powerful examples of women's capabilities in society." He noted that new employment opportunities for women were being created through women-only bus services and professional driver training programmes.
Member of Parliament Anna Minj identified two key challenges: society's reluctance to accept women driving public transport and insufficient facilities for women in public spaces.
BRTA Chairman Mohammad Habibur Rahman assured that qualified women drivers would receive appropriate support to facilitate the licensing process.
Chairing the event, BRAC Enterprises Managing Director Tamara Hasan Abed called for creating more employment opportunities for skilled women drivers both domestically and internationally, suggesting that additional nursing and caregiving skills training could improve their access to global labour markets.
BRAC's Road Safety Programme has been operating since 2001, and BRAC Driving School has provided driving training to more than 26,000 participants since 2012.
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