Driving Through Challenges to Break Barriers and Bring Change
Breaking the gender role is the biggest taboo in our society. Yet, some women are doing it without caring what people will say.
Shila Dawre is one of them. Hailing from Pune, Shila is recognised as India’s first female auto-rickshaw driver in the Limca Book of Records. Initial hiccups and challenges didn’t deter her from achieving her goal. Honoured with the ‘First Ladies’ award by the President of India, she continues to inspire many with her trailblazing journey.
“I was just 18 years old when I moved out of my parents’ home in Parbhani to come to Pune. I had only 12 rupees with me, no work, no shelter. I got my permit and my own rickshaw in December 1988, but that was just the beginning of my journey. I remember sleeping hungry at times, saving half a pao in one pocket to eat the next day, and carrying chilli powder in the other pocket for safety. Nights were often spent hiding in the rickshaw dicky so I could get some sleep…
I tied the knot with a close friend in 1991, and we dreamed of building our future together. We welcomed our first daughter in 1994 and the second in 2001. We built our business of buses and rickshaws over the years and faced the challenges together,” said Shila in one of her interviews with Femina.
After the birth of their second daughter, Shila found it tough to manage both home and work. To top it up, she was experiencing health issues that hindered her from driving. Her husband took over the business. He defaulted on loans and they ended up losing all their buses and rickshaws.
The entire experience made her depressed. When things went downhill they had only one option in their mind- self-harm. It was Ganpati Visarjan day and they planned to leave this world together. That day her husband made some money from the immersions and they had prasad offered by the devotees.
With that money, they established Vighnaharta Tourism. But tragedy hit them again during covid-19 lockdown when their business suffered and Shila’s husband had an extramarital affair.
Her daughter and she have moved out since then and striving to rebuild Vighnaharta Tourism.
Shila encourages more and more women to learn to drive for the better safety of women. She firmly believes that gender and societal bias should not prevent women from doing what they want.
“More women need to break barriers and make a place for themselves in male-centric fields,” Shila told DNA in an interview.