[sustran] Senegal's Taxi Sisters

Eric Britton eric.britton at ecoplan.org
Wed May 16 21:52:07 JST 2007


From: Aimee Gauthier [mailto:agauthier at itdp.org]



http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=nw200705152224532
07C914762
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Senegal's 'Taxi Sisters' to take to the roads


    May 16 2007 at 01:27AM


Dakar - Female cab drivers dubbed "Taxi Sisters" will take to the streets of
Senegal's sprawling capital Dakar for the first time this month in a move
the government hopes will boost gender equality in the mostly Muslim nation.

"This is a new way of tackling the gender issue. What a man can do a woman
can also do," Aida Mbodj, minister in charge of women, family and social
development in the former French colony, said.

The female cab drivers will take the wheel behind bright-yellow Chinese-made
vehicles with "Taxi Sisters" written in black letters on the bonnet.

Senegal is one of West Africa's more progressive states in terms of gender
equality, albeit coming from a low base. Forced marriages and female genital
mutilation are slowly dying out and the country has even boasted a female
prime minister.

Passengers hope the "Taxi Sisters" will have better road sense than their
male counterparts, who often mount pavements or drive the wrong way down
streets as they compete with mopeds, horse-drawn carts, goats and
pedestrians for space.

"I think the Taxi Sisters will bring a soft female touch and discipline to
the roads and I hope the male taxi drivers will change their driving
behaviour," said banker Alimatou Diop.

Those who do not may face the wrath of the government's other new gender
initiative: female motorcycle traffic police officers.


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