In Delhi, Kolkata, and Indore, women with wheels are now working as valets at 5 star hotels. Working with our partner, Sakha, that facilitates employment for women drivers trained by us, the hotels Radisson Blu in Delhi, JW Marriot in Indore and The Park Hotel in Kolkata have all come on board to provide livelihoods with dignity to women chauffeurs.

Sakha Cabs have also started a partnership with The Lalit Hotels in Delhi to provide safe transport for their female customers.

We’re all absolutely delighted about seeing these new horizons and career options opening up for women!

One of the drivers working for a hotel is Muskaan in Kolkata. Muskaan has experienced immense hardship and violence in her life. Her loving husband and his family turned hostile when she was just about to complete Women With Wheels training and ready to start working. The violence she suffered forced Muskaan to leave her husband. The situation escalated to a point when her husband decided to take his life. Muskaan’s life got shattered.

But eventually she regained her strength and completed the training and took up a job at Park Hotel in Kolkata:

“After he passed away, I could not stay at home, so with help of Azad and Swayam I moved to a hostel where I was safe. All my villagers, my community people, held me responsible for my husband’s death. Eventually, I resumed the training and also managed to free my daughter from my in-law’s place and brought her with me. A friend of mine, whom I met at Azad, did not hesitate to help me at this time and offered for me to stay with her family. This was a healing thing for me.

I finished the last bit of training and secured a job at a five-star Park Hotel. My salary is Rs. 10,000 – I get 7,500 in hand and the rest is deducted for Mediclaim, and other social benefits. I work there as a parking valet. Yesterday, I parked a BMW.

My son stays with my parents and I have sent my daughter to a boarding school. I stay in a hostel with friends from Azad. I am more confident as I commute to work alone. I am not afraid to travel alone at night anymore. Besides, I have money now. I can buy my children what they want. I want to live my life for my children now. My daughter is very happy for me. Her teacher wanted to meet me and they told her that her mother is strong enough to do a man’s job.”