Saira, a 38-year-old resident of Sheberghan city in Afghanistan’s Jowzjan province, has been driving a taxi for the past three years to support her family of nine.
Speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News, she said she has six daughters, one son, and a husband who is ill. Following the death of one of her children, she decided to learn how to drive so she could provide for her family’s needs on her own.
According to Saira, she now earns around 12,000 Afghanis (AFN) per month from driving a taxi, which serves as the family’s primary source of income.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says that women’s business and income-generating activities in Afghanistan have increased significantly in recent years.
Driving is often viewed as socially unacceptable for women in many parts of Afghanistan. Despite these social attitudes, Saira says taxi driving has become her only means of earning a lawful livelihood for her family.
Her story comes as women in Afghanistan continue to face severe restrictions under the Taliban authorities, including a ban on education beyond certain levels and extensive limitations on employment opportunities.
