10 women receive professional driver certification through BRAC training

Ten women have received professional driver certification after completing an intensive training programme organised by BRAC, with experts calling for greater acceptance of women drivers and more opportunities for their employment in the transport sector.

The certificates were handed over at an event titled “Women Behind the Wheel: Celebrating Achievement, Advancing Road Safety and Inclusive Transport” held at BRAC Centre in the capital’s Mohakhali on Tuesday, according to a press release.

The event was organised by BRAC’s Road Safety Programme to mark the completion of professional driver training for women.

Stakeholders at the event said Bangladesh continues to face a shortage of trained women drivers despite growing demand. They stressed the need for quality training and a change in social attitudes to establish women as professional drivers and create opportunities for their mobility, income generation and financial independence.

State Minister for Railways and the Road Transport and Highways Division Habibur Rashid attended the event as the chief guest. MP Anna Minj and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Mohammad Habibur Rahman were present as special guests. BRAC Enterprises Managing Director Tamara Hasan Abed chaired the programme.

The newly certified women completed a three-month residential training programme at BRAC Driving School, receiving theoretical and practical driving lessons with modern technological facilities. They were also trained in English communication skills, gender awareness and safeguarding issues.

So far, BRAC Driving School has trained 159 women as professional drivers, equipping them with driving, life and employability skills.

Speaking at the event, Habibur Rashid said women’s participation in the transport sector had remained limited for years due to social barriers and stereotypes.

He said the government has taken several initiatives, including technology-based traffic management, speed control measures, safer road infrastructure development and modernisation of public transport systems, while creating employment opportunities for women through women-only bus services, professional driver training and measures to facilitate licensing.

The state minister praised BRAC’s Road Safety Programme for promoting employment opportunities for women through driver training, motorcycle riding training, research and advocacy.

He said the newly certified women drivers have become examples of women’s capabilities in society.

Anna Minj described the initiative as a unique example of women’s empowerment but pointed out that social acceptance and inadequate facilities for women remain major challenges for women drivers.

She said society is yet to fully accept women driving buses and other public transport vehicles, limiting their employment opportunities.

She also stressed the need for adequate facilities, including toilets and other essential amenities, for women in public spaces.

BRTA Chairman Mohammad Habibur Rahman said the authority is committed to creating a supportive environment for women passengers and drivers.

He assured that qualified women drivers will receive necessary support in the licensing process and said efforts are underway to make the system more women-friendly while maintaining safety standards.

Tamara Hasan Abed said the event reflected a collective commitment to women’s empowerment, safety and inclusive transport systems.

She stressed the need to create more employment opportunities for skilled women drivers in Bangladesh and abroad.

She suggested providing women drivers with additional skills, such as basic nursing and caregiving training, to help them access better employment opportunities in international labour markets.

BRAC Road Safety Programme Director Ahmed Najmul Hussain said the certified women drivers completed three months of intensive training followed by another three months of apprenticeship as trainee professional drivers under senior drivers through BRAC’s Transport Department.

BRAC’s Road Safety Programme has been operating since 2001 to improve road safety through awareness campaigns, training and capacity building among road users and transport sector stakeholders.

Since its establishment in 2012, BRAC Driving School has provided defensive driving training to more than 13,500 people, general driving training to over 12,500 participants and trained 409 individuals as driving instructors.