Careem announced the introduction of a new vehicle category on their app named WoW, where both Captains and customers on a bike ride will be female.
The category launch was announced at the “Driving License Issuance Ceremony” of the Women on Wheels(WoW) Initiative by Salman Sufi Foundation (SSF) today at the Arts Council, Karachi.
The ceremony was held to distribute driving licenses for eligible WoW trainees and as well as certificates for those females who successfully completed the training by SSF.
It was also a platform where females who had successfully completed the training could sign up to become Careem Captains.
Notables present at the event were Shehla Raza, Minister for Women Development, Faryal Talpur, Member Sindh Assembly, Murtaza Wahab, Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Anti-Corruption Establishment, and Asad Haider Khan, General Manager-South, Careem Pakistan and Salman Sufi, who is spearheading the campaign and is famous for his work on female rights across the world.
Asad Haider Khan, General Manager Careem-South, commented on the occasion “Careem has always been at the forefront of supporting initiatives that can help empower women in Pakistan. Careem is looking forward to expanding its female Captains base and giving them financial empowerment through its platform. We believe the introduction of the WoW vehicle category will not only help break stereotypes and create job opportunities but also help provide safe and more affordable mobility solutions for our female customers”
Salman Sufi also commented on the occasion “Our Foundation aims to bring the same level of revolutionary change in Sindh as we did in Punjab. After expansion in Karachi we will launch the program in 3 districts across Sindh. Our first graduation ceremony is the beginning of our ambitious plan to facilitate women of Sindh and we would like to thank the Government of Sindh for their utmost commitment towards our cause as well as Careem for their facilitation for our WoW trainees’ commented Salman Sufi with regards to the Women on Wheels initiative.”
Careem also announced the facilitation of bike financing schemes in partnership with JS Bank for WoW trainees who register on the Careem platform to help facilitate job creation for women. As a result of the partnership, Careem plans to create 10,000 new jobs for females through the WoW vehicle category.
Initiatives like Women on Wheels and the introduction of a female-only vehicle type, especially bikes, will not only provide more economical mobility solutions for females but help empower women to reclaim public spaces and become financially independent.