Drivers may know basic English and can often be found loitering around major hotels, the airport, and other Western-friendly locations. Ms Bahayi, though, lives a poor enclave in Mazar-e Sharif. 12925 a revolution of sorts. Taxis mainly gather at special taxi ranks, rather than being 'hailed'. “She sends the message that men and women have equal rights,” said Arifa Saffar, head of the Afghan Women’s Network, a non-profit group helping women in Ms Bahayi’s Balkh province. 0:49. MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (AP) — Sara Bahai’s decision to become Afghanistan’s only known female taxi driver was motivated less by ideals of equality than by the need to support an extended family — and a love of driving that has confined her conservative detractors to the rear-view mirror. She’s outspoken. She got her driver’s license in 2002 and is also a mechanic. First woman taxi driver of Afghanistan Sara Bahai lives off her children by driving taxi, in Balkh, Afghanistan on 23 August, 2014. But their disapproval persists. She has neither an influential position nor a powerful family. The ICRC runs first-aid courses for taxi drivers in Afghanistan who transport casualties of the fighting to hospital. She’s 38. One was a black vehicle with tinted windows and no number plates and the other was a white car. Report. Tragic events eight years ago led him to get involved with the ICRC's War Wounded Assistance programme, which trains She's 38. This month, intruders tried to enter her house, she said. And in a highly patriarchal society, where women are considered second-class citizens and often abused, Ms Bahayi is brazenly upending gender roles. “How long should women depend on men’s income, taking the men’s orders?” she asked. The militia stopped him at a roadblock and transferred him to the U.S. Army for a monetary reward, claiming he was a terrorist. In this Tuesday, March 3, 2015 photo, taxi driver Sara Bahai, 40, pours some water into her taxi's radiator, in Mazar-i Sharif city, capital of northern Balkh province, Afghanistan. She knew she faced a beating, or worse, if the insurgents learned a female was behind the wheel. Sara Bahai's decision to become Afghanistan's only known female taxi driver was motivated less by ideals of equality than by the need to support an extended family. She’s unmarried. There were 30 other students, all men. Women who step out of their homes unaccompanied by male relatives often face verbal and sometimes physical harassment. Dispatches from Behind the Wheel Menu Skip to content She's outspoken. In this highly patriarchal society, where women are considered second-class citizens and often abused, Bahayi is brazenly upending gender roles. With no children of her own she adopted two boys, now both in high school. MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (AP) — Sara Bahai's decision to become Afghanistan's only known female taxi driver was motivated less by ideals of equality than by the need to support an extended family — and a love of driving that has confined her conservative detractors to the rear-view mirror. She earned a university degree in education and now teaches other women to drive so they can be more independent. Perhaps they despised her career. Bahai would agree. With every fare, Ms Bahayi says, she is determined to send a message to Afghan women: Get out of the house – earn money – don’t rely on men. “It’s hard to believe that I’m a driver even to men, but it’s a fact,” says Sarah Bahai. As Afghanistan’s first – and only – female taxi driver, Sara Bahayi risks her life every day trying to change a deeply patriarchal society, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Far more girls today are in school. Step by step everything is going to be all right,” she says. “The government should take on these lawbreakers; government claims that it is implementing the law, but it implements the law only on taxi drivers, on women or street sellers and vendors,” said MP Naseema Niazi. All she has is a hunting rifle she keeps loaded in case of intruders. “Our women feel comfortable with a woman driver. First woman taxi driver of Afghanistan. Video, 00:02:47 A female taxi driver... in Afghanistan All run private car services for female clients. Every day, she plies her trade in a business ruled by conservative men. But Sara never married, she made a decision to be independent, the breadwinner for herself and her sister and to be her own woman. She worked for various aid agencies. Posted on February 27, 2015 by abkoeller93. A female taxi driver... in Afghanistan Afghanistan is one of the most challenging places in the world to be a woman and despite some improvements in recent years, many still struggle to find work. Zamaryalai is a 35-year-old taxi driver from Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan. The budget was slashed and the women lost their salaries They get a place to train, their boxing gloves and, occasionally, transportation costs, Their trainer pairs them off and in turn they get into the rings to practice in hope for a better future, Bahayi's first client was so stunned she asked for a tour around Mazar-e Sharif, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, In pictures: Female boxing club in Afghanistan, 'One day they will kill you': Afghanistan's first female taxi driver, Booking.com promo: Extra 10% off holidays with Level 1 Genius membership, Debenhams discount code for 15% off selected luxury beauty products, Exclusive Ideal World promo code: 20% saving on fitness, Receive a £2 AliExpress promo code with the official App, Argos promo: 20% off selected LEGO toys this Easter. CricGossip.Com. Afghanistan Taxis and Car Rental. In a speech to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday, she said “women should be respected both inside and outside their homes and play an active role in society as doctors, engineers, soldiers, police officers.”. But some men in Ms Bahayi’s neighbourhood see a layer of security for their family’s women. But most hail from privileged or liberal families. Along the way, children, and even some men, clapped and cheered. Afghanistan’s first taxi driver. The next day, she bought the rifle. Sara Bahayi is Afghanistan’s first female taxi driver in recent memory, and she is believed to be the only one actively working in the country. Sara Bahayi is probably the only female taxi driver in Afghanistan, and has been for two years now. One can also order a taxi … One day another student told her it was disgraceful for a woman to take a class with men. She now supports a dozen people. Alex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan. The pioneering taxi driver sees more and more young women attending school, graduating college and living their own lives, as she has done. Sara Bahayi is Afghanistan’s first female taxi driver in recent memory, and she is believed to be the only one actively working in the country. Taxis in Finland do not have to be liveried in any particular colour or pattern. At first glance, the Toyota Corolla looked like any other taxi bumping along the craggy street. “I want them to be independent.”. As she has become well known in this province because of local media coverage, threats against her have grown. At the same time, millions of girls are today attending school, and many graduate from university. It was shortly after the Taliban were driven from power in the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. In the late 1990s, the Taliban killed her brother-in-law, and she was forced to care for her sister and her seven children. Eventually, she said she plans to kick her partners out – and replace them with women. In her taxi, Ms Bahayi traverses streets and highways. With Alex Gibney, Brian Keith Allen, Moazzam Begg, Christopher Beiring. Browse more videos. Zamaryalai is a 35-year-old taxi driver from Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan. Only nine of the men passed. UN officials and women’s rights activists fear that the fragile gains women have made will be further eroded in light of the recent departure of most international forces, a resurgence of the Taliban, and expected reductions in international aid. “You want to start prostituting in your taxi, taking clients from one place to another,” one person, using a female name, wrote on Ms Bahayi’s Facebook page. Domestic violence goes largely unpunished and girls are still married off against their will, often to much older men, as payment for debts or as swaps for property. She's unmarried. Afghanistan’s constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women. At the taxi stand, her male competitors tried to block her car or stop her potential passengers. Customers either walk to the taxi rank and take the first available taxi from the front of the queue, or wait at the rank for a taxi to appear. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Ms Bahayi hopes they will become taxi drivers someday. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Their action is saving lives, according to local doctors. The sportswomen share a camaraderie, laughing and teasing each other until the serious business of training begins, An Afghan female boxer tries to do pull-ups during a practice session at the Kabul Stadium boxing club, On the beginning there were 25 young women in the club who received a salary the equivalent of $100 per month and transportation to and from the Kabul Stadium where they train, Aid organizations have dropped out and no longer support the club. “I receive threats from unknown callers who tell me to not drive in the city because I am a woman, because it is against Islam. BALKH, AFGHANISTAN - AUGUST 23: First woman taxi driver of Afghanistan Sara Bahai lives off her children by driving taxi, in Balkh, Afghanistan on 23 August, 2014. (2019) Taxi diaries is series of Short Interview with Kabul-Taxi-Drivers published by 4so. First woman taxi driver of Afghanistan Sara Bahai works for the women who aren't allowed to use taxi without their first degree men relatives, in Balkh, Afghanistan on 23 August, 2014. The ICRC runs first-aid courses for taxi drivers in Afghanistan who transport casualties of the fighting to hospital. In the early morning, long before punching in to start his reporting job around midday, Faizi traverses the giant overpopulated city as a cabbie--fighting through jammed intersections that lack traffic lights and threading his way through streets that are crowded with … By MUSTAFA NAJAFIZADA and LYNNE O’DONNELL Associated Press MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (AP) — Sara Bahai’s decision to become Afghanistan’s only known female taxi driver was motivated less by … A few yellow lamps light up the cavernous, sparsely furnished room where Afghanistan's young boxers train, hoping to become good enough to compete in the 2016 Olympics, Afghan women boxers warm up for practice at the Kabul stadium boxing club. Attitudes about women have been slowly changing in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban, and gender equality is enshrined in the constitution. The day after she received her taxi licence, her first client, a woman, was so stunned to see Ms Bahayi behind the wheel that she asked for a tour around Mazar-e Sharif. First woman taxi driver of Afghanistan Sara Bahai works for the women who aren't allowed to use taxi without their first degree men relatives, in Balkh, Afghanistan on 23 August, 2014. Today, few role models for Afghan women exist. But the person behind the steering wheel – with coal-black hair, round face and purple scarf – has made taxi No. A recent spike in rape reports reflects the effectiveness of public education campaigns, according to Najia Nasim, country director for a women’s rights organization called Women for Afghan Woman, which also runs shelters. 7 years ago | 16 views. Sara Bohayi is the first and only woman taxi driver in Afghanistan. The women, who are 18 and older, don't have much more than determination, and a trainer who runs them through their paces, watches as they spar, corrects their technique, tells them when to jab, how to protect themselves, when to power through with a left and then a right, An Afghan female boxer jumps rope during a practice session at the Kabul Stadium boxing club. She’s 38, unmarried and outspoken. She’s outspoken. Sara Bahayi is Afghanistan’s first female taxi driver in recent memory, and she is believed to be the only one actively working in the country. “My message for Afghan women is to stand up for yourselves, set goals and achieve them, and help to make Afghanistan a happy place to live.”, O’Donnell reported from Kabul, Afghanistan, Follow Lynne O’Donnell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lynnekodonnell, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. They are recognisable from the yellow 'TAKSI' sign on the roof, which is illuminated when the taxi is available for hire. Follow. Faizi, 26, works for Roidad news agency, but to make ends meet he drives a taxi in the city of Kabul during his off-hours. Most men will not enter her taxi, believing that a woman should never drive for a man. Directed by Alex Gibney. A husband would never have allowed her to work, she said. In the front passenger seat, a bearded man sat stone-faced. To escape the jokes and stares, she sat in the back. “If a man can drive a taxi, why not a woman? So Ms Bahayi donned a man’s coat and sunglasses and drove the women. Sara Bahai... Erstklassige Nachrichtenbilder in hoher Auflösung bei Getty Images The first female taxi driver in Afghanistan. She still remembers her first time behind the wheel. Eventually, they got accustomed to seeing her around. I will change the country with whatever ability I have to do so,” she said. Now she and her brothers take turns sitting on their roof at night, guarding their house. In this short clip we are interviewing taxi drivers in Kabul. To put food on the table, she drives around the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif in a spotlessly clean yellow and white Toyota Corolla with sparkly woven seat covers and a good luck talisman in the front window. (Photo by Sayed Khodaberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Bahai, now around 40 years old, had already spent much of her life defying taboos in Afghanistan, where women are widely regarded as inferior to men and discouraged from working outside the home. There are female ministers and lawmakers, as well as Rula Ghani, Afghanistan’s modern and sophisticated first lady. Afghanistan's National Olympic Committee took over, but it has little money for the women. She has shown the reality that a woman can drive just as well.”. “That’s why I am single,” she said. Yet she earns $10 (£6.50) to $20 a day, enough to provide for her 15 relatives, including her ailing mother. There was no turning back. Mar 11, 2015 - AP News : Afghanistan's only woman taxi driver steers change It was previously supported by nongovernmental organizations however in recent years the club has struggled financially, An Afghan female boxer prepares for practice at the Kabul Stadium boxing club, Afghan women boxers during their training at the Kabul stadium boxing club, Afghan female boxers arrive for practice at the Kabul Stadium boxing club. “Being a female taxi driver is like being a female doctor,” said Mohammad Akram, 50, a bearded man who was with three of his female relatives inside Ms Bahayi’s taxi on a recent day. Erstklassige Nachrichtenbilder in hoher Auflösung bei Getty Images First lady Taxi driver in Afghanistan. Two years ago, Ms Bahayi took a class to acquire her licence to drive a taxi. Abb Takk. Two weeks later, she passed the road test and received her licence. First lady Taxi driver in Afghanistan. One such woman is Sara Bahaei, who is possibly the first female taxi driver in Afghanistan. Playing next. But local authorities have been slow to adopt change, and outside major cities deeply conservative traditions prevail. Sara Bahayi is Afghanistan’s first female taxi driver in recent memory, Bahayi is a symbol of freedom for the women she drives, The Afghanistan National Olympic Committee boxing club includes fewer than a dozen women. A woman’s fate here is to become a housewife, caring for her husband and children. “My mom doesn’t want me to be a taxi driver,” Ms Bahayi said. Improving the lives of women was a key goal after the Taliban regime collapsed in 2001. Sara Bahai is the Afghanistan's first female taxi driver.Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston went on a ride with her in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. She is the first wife of an Afghan leader to routinely appear in public and has campaigned for women’s issues and poverty alleviation. Some tell me that if I continue to work as a taxi driver they will kill me,” she said. Safe. All the male taxi drivers refused. When Taliban insurgents shot and killed her brother-in-law, she took in her sister and seven nieces and nephews. Afghanistan’s First Lady Rula Ghani has adopted a rare public profile since her husband, President Ashraf Ghani, took office in September. For in-depth analysis on news visit website OR watch at live.abbtakk.tv. “You are defaming the Afghan name.”. Eyewitnesses said the armed men had been in two vehicles. Sara Bahayi is Afghanistan’s first female taxi driver in recent memory, and she is believed to be the only one actively working in the country. That, and a love of driving that has confined her detractors to the rear-view mirror. Every day, she is among the rank and file, empowering local women with each fare. 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