One of Shefali Jariwala’s long-standing desires has been to hire a lady driver. However, when she failed to find one, she took the onus on herself to train one. She enrolled her house help of 15 years, Rekha Mujmule (42 years), in a driving class. Shefali shares, “I don’t agree with the notion that women aren’t as equipped as their male counterparts when it comes to driving. I drive and I strongly believe that female drivers are a lot more patient, focused and law-abiding. In fact, I was looking to hire a female driver for a long time, but failed to get one. Rekha seemed interested in learning to drive, and so I thought of enrolling her in a driving school. She manages my home in my absence and takes charge of everything. So, why not take charge of the car, too? That was the beginning of it all.”

Shefali further adds, “Last August, we enrolled her in a driving school. It took her around four months to learn basic driving. She later applied for a driving licence and procured it after clearing the test in December.”

Today, Shefali can’t think of anyone but Rekha to drive her around. “Though she is shy, I insist on her driving me whenever I have to run errands. I am sure she will become more confident with time and will take other people around, too. The intention was to make her financially more secure and independent. I feel people are a lot apprehensive about hiring a lady driver. I hope that one day our society is more accepting of female drivers. I feel that strong women should uplift and empower other women. I am grateful for being in a position to give a helping hand and encourage another woman. I would love to see more women taking up jobs that are usually for men. Here’s to breaking gender stereotypes,” she concludes.