You’ve no doubt heard the phrase “Every cloud has a silver lining,” a hopeful expression that reminds us to look for the positive behind a difficult or challenging situation. “A Silver Lining” is also the name of a new feature series on our blog in which we highlight a story that showcases the good news and solutions in global efforts to end violence against women.
For our inaugural “Silver Lining” post, we turn our attention to New Delhi, where the city’s first women-only taxi company is giving women more options for travel.
As the article notes, women have entered the workforce in huge numbers. They are starting their own businesses. And women are making their presence felt in government. But this level of change has not been welcomed everywhere:
“In a patriarchal country where traditions date back centuries and where age-old customs such as arranged marriages remain the standard, not everyone has embraced the change. The harassment of women has become so common that the trend even has its own name: Eve teasing.
In New Delhi, police register a new complaint of rape every day, yet very few of the city’s police stations maintain a 24-hour women’s help desk. That means evidence in rape cases is collected haphazardly and convictions are secured in just 27 per cent of cases where charges are laid, The Sunday Guardian newspaper reported this week.”
The new taxi company provides women with a safe means of transport. It also provides a livelihood for its female drivers, many of whom come from the slums around New Delhi. So far, the taxi company, Sakha Consulting Wings, has trained 75 female drivers.
We chose to highlight this story because it shows how each small effort we make can have a ripple effect that helps entire communities. Women can now travel more safely in this busy city, without fear of harassment or violence. The entire story is available here.
If you have good news story that you would like us to feature, please email our Blog Editor, Crystal, at crystal@thepixelproject.net.