In the residential area of South C in Nairobi Kenya, despite the popular attractions in this particular place, one cannot help but notice the high number of Muslim female drivers. They are easily spotted in meat groceries, on the road and parked near schools.
In Kenya, it is evident that women have the freedom to drive. However, on the 24th of June 2018, the Saudi government finally lifted the long-standing ban through a royal decree allowing women in the country to drive legally.
Escaping the morning traffic jam at around 6:30 am, a Muslim woman is seen dropping off her children at a school nearby.
“About Sixty Percent of the driving students are Muslim Women-Nabila”
According to Nabila Bukhari, a driving instructor at the Impala Driving School in South C, about sixty percent of the driving students are Muslim women. She says the reason for the high number of Muslim female drivers is due to the fact that women also want to feel empowered and play a significant role in the family setting especially in cases of emergencies.
Nabila believes that driving has given these women a new bill of confidence.
Rukiya Abdirahman, a Salon owner in South C, says she has been driving for the past two years. Her motivation to drive was inspired by seeing her other fellow women driving for example her friends, neighbors and family members. Therefore she said why not me and decided to steer the wheel herself she narrated.
Rukiya echoed the need for Muslim women to drive especially in cases where male drivers were not around, she said it is good for women to depend on themselves in any given situation. She further added driving has made her life much easier and she can now drive herself to downtown Nairobi to run her errands.
Some of the challenges she has faced include stares from other drivers and pedestrians, it might surprise or shock people when they come across a Muslim woman driving.
“Few Muslim women learning to drive prefer to have female driving instructors”-Nabila.
Given that it takes two-three weeks to learn, it is not time consuming says the Impala driving instructor. She further said it costs ten thousand eight hundred Kenyan shillings to learn how to drive and gain a license if one passes the driving exam. However, few Muslim women learning to drive prefer to have female driving instructors to teach them how to drive as opposed to male instructors, making it comfortable for them to endure the process altogether. Nabila, highlighted the availability of cars on Kenyan roads, according to her now cars are cheaper to own therefore increasing the number of learners.
There are about three driving Schools available within the South C area, making it readily available for Muslim women to opt for driving within the densely populated Muslim community.
Both female drivers and instructors agree that taking charge of the wheel is one step closer to empowering Muslim women.
Written By: Fatma Adam
Writer at iwomantoday.
