Picture this: a woman steers her way through gridlocked Dhaka traffic as ripples of turning heads follow in her wake. Curious glances, some fleeting and others lingering, turn instinctively — a few drawn from admiration, others laced with scepticism. The hum of engines and the cacophony of honking horns momentarily seem to pause as passing drivers, pedestrians, and rickshaw pullers steal a glance, as though the sight of a woman in control of the wheel is something otherworldly, something to behold.

This is a stark reality that countless women in Bangladesh encounter every day. Despite an increasing number of female drivers gaining visibility over time, the streets still prevalently reflect a scene of male dominance. For many women, driving is not just about navigating the roads, but the need to overcome pervasive societal biases while grappling with safety concerns.

Bushra Tabassum, a senior HR executive at an IT firm, has been behind the wheel for the past seven years. She acknowledges the common assumption that female drivers are incompetent, which initially unsettled her. "People are adamant that women are bad drivers," she says. "But I've learned to disregard it. Even my own friends doubted my abilities before witnessing my driving firsthand."

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Bushra recounts facing a constant barrage of unfair accusations on the road. "Accidents often result in immediate blame being directed towards me, regardless of culpability," she says. "But I always speak up and confront any attempt to shift responsibility, be it from a male driver or a rickshaw puller."

However, for many, such has not been the case.

Despite holding a driver's license since 2016, Rebeka Tanji Tania, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology (BUFT), still struggles to muster the confidence to drive on her own. "Navigating the roads alongside male drivers requires being loud, assertive, and ready to defend oneself against unwarranted blame. In our country, traffic regulations are loosely implemented, and everyone drives however they please. Male drivers can easily assert control on the streets by shouting or swearing to tackle directed accusations because people are so used to it. But for me, that isn't quite the option," she speculates on her hesitancy.

Female drivers often become a spectacle, being at the receiving end of unwanted attention, commentary, and even intimidation. While the scenario is relatively better in certain affluent regions inside Dhaka, challenges are far more harrowing in other parts of the country.

"While driving inside Cumilla district, I noticed that autorickshaw drivers would pause in the middle of the road, eventually leading to clogged traffic. They would blatantly stare at me in disbelief, that a woman is capable of steering the wheel, and even female passengers shared the same incredulous gaze. I have had similar experiences while driving in Mohammadpur as well," Mahamuda Peya, a former employee of bKash and British American Tobacco, shares.

In Bangladesh, the lack of road safety awareness poses risks to all drivers, but for women, the challenges are amplified. Women are generally considered safer drivers than men, based on the ratio of road accidents accounted for by either group. However, the constant scrutiny that they encounter from outsiders plays as an external factor in interrupting their concentration while driving.

Sarmily Sarker, Professor of Fashion Design at BUFT, has been driving in Bangladesh and abroad for almost a decade. Her endeavour began with riding a bicycle, then switching to a scooter during her student years, before she eventually bought a car. Reflecting on the erratic nature of Dhaka's streets, she states, "People are remarkably unbothered about road safety. For instance, when I'm driving at high speed, pedestrians often raise a hand at the last moment and step onto the road, expecting traffic to pause instantaneously. It is incredibly difficult to halt on such short notice, and if an accident occurs, the blame inevitably falls on the driver. But people don't seem to realise the nuances."

In addition to all these setbacks, female drivers are constantly required to be on guard for their safety. For instance, the absence of proper parking spaces often creates significant security concerns for female drivers. Many hesitate to park in isolated areas, fearing harassment or worse. A great number of female drivers also refrain from using ride-sharing services like Uber as a source of possible income.

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"Some areas are unsafe to go to alone, and people always try to create more problems for female drivers," Bushra laments. She recalls a distressing experience: "One day, I was driving amidst heavy rainfall, and a car in front of me suddenly hit brakes. A man stepped out of the vehicle and tried to get inside my car. Since I was alone, I didn't take any risks. He lingered outside for a while, but I quickly drove away."

Similarly, Peya also recounts having to endure several unfortunate occurrences where she was subjected to verbal persecution by the mass public. Remembering one such incident, she says, "While reversing out of a parking space, my car once crashed into another. Within minutes, a crowd gathered, and a group of bikers began insisting that the female driver's license be checked."

She continues, "As the damage was significant on both ends, the police soon intervened. I refused to resolve because I was not at fault and demanded compensation. What shocked me most was that the officer reviewed the man's driving license immediately upon arrival, yet before that, the mob had only pressured me to show mine. I stood my ground and made it clear that they had no authority to demand my license. If I had to show mine, then so should the other person."

The rise in mob violence and frequent attacks on women heightens fears for female drivers. While speaking to our respondents, we found some of them expressing grave concern over the worsening state of public security in the country. Following recent events, many women consider themselves prone to rising threats of violence, further marginalising them. On top of that, frequent incidents of mugging and robbery flag them as easy targets and further fuel their unease about driving alone.

Such concerns are not unfounded. Women on the road continue to face an uphill battle, from deep-seated negative mindsets to pressing security threats. While their presence behind the wheel is gradually increasing, the truth is that female drivers regularly continue to face a myriad of issues. Their experiences vastly differ from that of their male counterparts, and almost never in a positive way. Therefore, without improvised law and order and discernible changes in societal attitude, female drivers are constrained to battle against the challenges that continue to encumber them.

Punomi Rahman Titir is a contributor at The Daily Star. Reach her at [email protected]