The female population makes almost half of the world’s population, yet their social participation is way lower than that of the male population even today. In a country like India, which cherishes a culture of strong women heroes and boasts of a constitution that supports women’s right to equality, nonetheless, we find a huge gap in the women’s employment and entrepreneur numbers. So, we at Eride started working on She Rickshaw(Electric rickshaw for women) to Empower Women.
Statistics are showing more than 50% of women in our country are refraining from pursuing better careers as their commute to and fro workplace is becoming a challenge. Today in the city we observe women getting crushed in sharing autos to reach offices from metro stations and bus stops. The challenges faced are not just last-mile connectivity but also road safety or women safety issues. There is also a lack of awareness of the available resources like the She-taxis etc. Not many women are as mobile as their counterparts in securing drivers’ license or driving or even if they do drive, hesitate to pursue careers in this industry sector.
Although employability has increased many folds in the mobility and transport sector because of the rising delivery services, cab services, and so on, only 1% of this industry employs women. More women need to be empowered to pursue livelihood opportunities in the mobility sector by creating conducive conditions for them as it does not just enhance their personal and professional growth but also impacts the economy of our country which is losing out on half of the workforce now.
A social transformation is needed to make our roads safer for women and address the knowledge gaps and train women to ride vehicles and make use of the many possibilities that can make them self-reliant and self-confident.
The upliftment of women is not just a Government or non-profit sector’s responsibility. All private and public companies need to participate in encouraging products and solutions for women’s empowerment. Investing in women’s empowerment has to go beyond CSR goals. Complete social transformative programs to empower women in the mobility sector should include training in driving, arranging fleet of geared, non-geared and electric vehicles, awareness of the livelihood opportunities, skill development to facilitate into employment, road safety, and personal safety programs.
Only when established companies transform themselves to support women’s employment with newer empowering solutions it will be easier for India to witness speedy women empowerment and their contribution towards building the nation.
ERIDE is a socially and environmentally aware company that is constantly innovating to support the process of transformation towards women-oriented brands. We understand there is an urgent need to create mass awareness about sustainable businesses and women leading these businesses from the forefront.
We are a responsible company that explores new avenues and aggressive awareness initiatives, to create a conducive environment for women empowerment. Through our SHE rickshaw, we are bringing out customized electrical three-wheeler vehicles that are eco-friendly and woman-friendly. We believe helping women earn their livelihood can earn them confidence while supporting a better business growth environment for themselves and other stakeholders.
To keep up with the market and the electric vehicle revolution ERIDE’s E-rickshaws are of two types. We have maintenance-free open and closed e-rickshaws. Neither of them has an engine or gearbox and instead uses a motor and a small battery making it considerably easy to maintain. Moreover, it keeps the pockets and environment unharmed as they run on battery, reducing pollution caused by the combustion of fuel and keeps all worries about petrol and diesel price hikes at bay. All it takes is plugging your rickshaw into an electrical outlet to charge it and you are free to take an environmentally safer ride to any place!!
Our She rickshaw can work wonders as part of first and last-mile connectivity for working women who commute daily in and around Hitech City, Madhapur, and Gachhibowli. She rickshaw will be exclusive for women and the drivers will also be females who will be trained on soft skills, self-defense, and driving skills. Most importantly this initiative helps break down walls and defy stereotypes of the cultural and social identity of women.
We are collaborating with diverse stakeholders and organizations of repute for imparting training. Currently, we have 30 women who are trained in these aspects. We went an extra step ahead to identify the bankers who are ready to give loans to the women who are at the bottom of the pyramid and want to avail of the livelihood projects. Electric Rickshaws give substantial savings for women drivers as running costs are as low as 40 paise per KM and there is a potential of earning up to Rs18,000 to Rs.20,000 per month for women from poor and marginalized communities, leading to improvement in their lives and livelihoods.
She rickshaw is a perfect solution to enhance the mobility of women in our country. It is a whole package that takes care of skill development, training, hassle-free electric vehicle ownership, and maintenance and shows livelihood opportunities to anyone who wants to make use of it.
Creating self-reliant, confident, and safer mobility for women!!!