Being able to ride a “scooty” can empower women by making them self-dependent.
That was the reason that when she decided to start a scooter driving school for women, she could not think of a better name than ‘Aatm Nirbhar’ – literally meaning self-dependent.
MATHURA/AGRA – On any busy traffic crossing in the historic Mughal city of Agra, one would be surprised to see the number of women on two-wheelers. Not only young girls, but more and more middle-aged women, including housewives, are now seen enjoying their new-found freedom of mobility, a stark contrast from a few years ago. The company, Aatm Nirbhar, is creating these opportunities
One can witness similar scenes some 60 kilometers away in Mathura, the city considered sacred by Hindus being the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
Mathura/Agra: Last year in November, Pawani set up Aatm Nirbhar, a purely women-driven and women-oriented two-wheeler riding school.
Mathura resident Pawani Khandelwal, who describes herself as a raging feminist, truly believes that something as simple as riding a two-wheeler can transform lives of middle-aged housewives in small towns where even switching from wearing a saree to a salwar-suit is seen as a revolution.
Being able to ride a “scooty” – a smaller version of a scooter with auto-transmission – can empower women by making them self-dependent, she says.
That was the reason that when she decided to start a scooter driving school for women, she could not think of a better name than ‘Aatm Nirbhar’ – literally meaning self-dependent.
“Bicycles are now out of fashion. Most women go for a scooty or an electric scooter. After school hours, you will find so many of them with kids tucked tightly to their backs hurrying back home,” commented school teacher Meera Gupta.