ANA NORMAN BERMÚDEZ
Delhi's women on wheels
India has one the highest estimated rates of violence against women in the world. In Delhi, where cases of crimes against women have repeatedly made global news, many women do not feel safe leaving their home at certain times. This has a significant impact on women's mobility and independence, and therefore on their experience of the city.
This project tells the story of women's relationship to the city in Delhi through documenting the work of Azad, an organisation that trains women from vulnerable backgrounds to become taxi drivers. At the end of a successful eight months of training, the women are hired by Sakha Cabs, a taxi service that only employs female drivers and only accepts female customers. The training is holistic, and includes not just driving lessons but also self-defence workshops, English classes and education on gender issues and women’s rights.
I follow the lives of three women: Sheetal, Sunita and Rameshwari, as they take part in this initiative and reclaim the right of women to be full participants in Delhi's urban life.