Aakriti Karki, Kathmandu, Nepal, SSH Blog Correspondent
Recently, a female only bus service launched in Nepal. The idea behind this service is to provide more safety to women from harassment.
When I read about it in the morning paper, I smiled. I was glad that the public transport authorities were finally paying heed to our concerns. Moreover, to know that the bus services would soon have lady drivers and lady conductors meant that more opportunities were going to be provided to women. Also, this would break the gender stereotypes in our society. We don’t see women as bus drivers or as conductors in Kathmandu even though there is a rise in the number of women who drive their own cars. Even the tempos have more female drivers compared to bus drivers. As for conductors, I’ve seen only a handful in Kathmandu so far. So I was really happy about the news that morning.
That very day, while I was returning home, I was treated rather rudely by a male bus conductor. As soon as I took my seat next to a window, he stared at me. A few other passengers gave me quizzical looks. A few minutes later, the conductor started yelling and pointing his finger at me. I had my earphones in so I removed them in time to hear him yell at me for not sitting in the “women’s seating area,” meaning the few seats designated for women-only on the bus.
I apologized and sat where he wanted me to be seated. Throughout that ride I kept questioning myself – Why could I not sit any other place? Wasn’t this “seat reservation” system put in place for the ladies who couldn’t find a seat in a packed buses? Why did I have to sit here if I could sit anywhere else? The bus wasn’t completely occupied! I didn’t have to sit just there. I knew I could sit anywhere else. But how was I supposed to explain it to them? The conductor followed the system. But was that the right way? He just did that to avoid the scolding from the police in case there was an inspection.
This is where our problem lies. No matter how much our society chants “women equality”, “women empowerment”, “women safety”, we never manage to make that happen. Will females not be allowed to travel in regular buses because there are “all-women buses” available for us? What if I want to travel someplace with my guy friends? Will we have to use separate buses? I hope this doesn’t become another misinterpreted system or another excuse for people to tell me where to sit. The last thing I need now is people telling me which bus to travel in and whom to travel with.
The new women-only bus “tactic” will surely help physically challenged women and older women. It’ll definitely put parents with young daughters at ease. But not me. I don’t mind defending myself when someone makes lewd comments about me or even stares me with that grin on his face. I like fighting with perverts and harassers. I like my freedom and I want all that any guy in my society gets.
I also like making people aware about the inequalities and dangers our society holds for girls. I like it when men show some respect to women – not because they are women but because they are humans. I like it when one human respects another human.
With these new buses, maybe we’ll be safe. But what about the “perverted” minds that will still wander free? Will we start having separate lanes to walk in? Because hey! We aren’t safe on the streets either, are we?
Aakriti is a student at Jalalabad Ragib Rabeya Medical College and member at Women LEAD Nepal – the only leadership development organisation for young women in Nepal. You can follow her on Twitter @karki_aakriti or Facebook.
