Pink shuttle, an initiative to help Afghanistan women navigate while travelling

Nove Onlus, a not-for-profit organisation in their recent initiative is helping women in Afghanistan to navigate the many challenges they face while travelling. In the first-of-its-kind project, the NGO's Pink Shuttle aims at contributing to the solution of one of the major obstacles as the shuttle is a pilot bus programme which employs only women to ferry female passengers and their kids across Kabul. Through this service, the woman in Afghanistan will also be able to have access to basic rights, such as studying and working. According to international media reports, the NGO is also being supported by the Only The Brave Foundation, created by fashion designer Renzo Rosso. 

The official site of Pink Shuttle read, “The image of Afghan women running for the first time a shuttle service or driving a car acts as a catalyst, prompting many more to follow the example. The sense of empowerment that such initiatives spread across the traditional Afghan society represents a crack in the wall of subjugation that surrounds the vast majority of the female population.”

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Shuttle service for women

The project coordinator Obaidullah Amiri while talking to international media outlet said that the pilot project started in May and has received backing from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). He further added that the service is currently being offered for free to a limited number of pre-approved passengers, however, it aims to become financially sustainable within two years. According to the NGO's official page, in order to reduce women's potential risks, the organisation will provide the newly-trained drivers with an experienced tutor for their first driving experience and as in Afghanistan, it is socially acceptable for women to drive other women, but any innovation for and with women demands caution, the organisation will also acquire preliminary permission by the Institutions, the traditional authorities, the families and the broader community.

“Apart from covering the initial costs (i.e., fuel, insurance, driver salaries), through its job & business advisory service, Nove Onlus sets up, along with its stakeholders, a sustainable management plan, aimed at developing this shuttle service and helping it to gain independence over the next two years.”

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