1 Feb 2025
A line of autos stands at a bus stop in southern Tamil Nadu. The drivers are chatting among themselves, their voices blending with the hum of the busy town.
A few feet away, one auto stands out, adorned with turmeric, vermilion, and a garland of flowers. Out steps a lone woman driver, 31-year-old M. Tamilselvi, who assists an elderly passenger into her three-wheeler.
While this may be a common sight in a metropolitan city, auto driving is often frowned upon in Tamilselvi’s small town. Luckily, she feels empowered in her choice of livelihood. Tamilselvi attributes her success as an auto driver for the past five years to her husband, as well as help from the women’s federation supported by VST’s partner, Arogya Agam.
Having observed the potential in Tamilselvi, who was a struggling teacher, the federation offered her the path to become an auto driver. “My husband, an auto driver himself, taught me to drive. While I was excited to learn a skill, I never would have made it a career if it were not for the federation,” Tamilselvi said.
Arogya Agam facilitates more than 300 women’s self help groups in Theni District, working through the federation leaders of nearly 4,000 women across 80 villages. Their holistic approach supports participating women’s financial inclusion and entrepreneurial skills, as well as linking participants to existing government programmes.
Linking women to financial institutions can have a major impact. Since women in these communities commonly work in the informal sector, they would otherwise only be able to obtain loans through village lenders who charge them exorbitant interest rates.
For women like Tamilselvi, the federation provides major subsidies for driving school fees and auto-rickshaw purchases, as well as supporting them to access a low-interest bank loan to pay for their remaining fees.
This support can make all the difference for federation participants. While Tamilselvi, a mother of two, had struggled to support her family as a primary school teacher, her shift to auto driving has greatly improved her household’s wellbeing. “We moved to our own home from a rented place. We are able to cater to our children’s needs,” she said, with a glint in her eye.
Having built a consistent customer base and demonstrated the value of women in rickshaw driver roles, Tamilselvi aspires to complete her Bachelor of Education and return to teaching, while continuing driving on the side.
As for other participants in the women’s movement, while five are also pursuing auto-rickshaw driving, inspired by Tamilselvi’s success, the programme also supports women in other entrepreneurial ventures.
Among them, 35 women participants have received digital marketing and tailoring courses, and 20 were trained in jute bag making. These all provide women with the capacity to generate income with more flexible hours, empowering them to balance their career with domestic or caregiving responsibilities.
Through VST’s support, programmes such as these will continue to empower women to achieve their aspirations while bringing about a shift in gender norms in their communities.