By: Aziz Ahmed Hakro
What is the cost of a dream For many women in Pakistan its often the price of a bus ticket the availability of a rickshaw or the safety of the journey Its a cost too high for countless students and working women forcing their ambitions to stall at the front door
The Government of Sindh is now paying that cost
In a move that swaps political rhetoric for practical solutions the provincial government has launched the Pink Scooty Scheme providing free scooters to deserving women across the province This isnt a symbolic gesture its a strategic investment in shattering the single biggest barrier to female participation in education and the economy mobility
Under the supervision of Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon the initiative is the latest in a series of transport reforms that have already reshaped urban travel with bus services But this one is different Its personal direct and uniquely empowering
At the distribution ceremony the atmosphere was electric The pink scooties lined up like a fleet of new possibilities represented more than just free transport They represented trust The government was trusting women with assets and in turn enabling families to trust that their daughters could travel safely
The biggest challenge for my daughters education was the commute shared Khalida Banu whose daughter a medical student received a scooty We worried about her safety the cost was draining us Today that worry is gone This is the most direct help our family has ever received
The scheme championed by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is deeply rooted in the PPPs political legacy of female empowerment but is executed with a modern understanding of urban challenges It acknowledges that while buses are for the masses empowerment often needs a personal touch
Critics may ask why pink The answer is simple visibility In a traffic landscape dominated by men these scooties are a deliberate unmissable statement They announce that women belong on the road in public spaces and on their own terms
The data is clear when women have independent mobility everything changes School attendance rises female employment increases and household incomes grow By handing over the keys to these scooties Sindh isnt just changing commute routes its charting a new course for its economic and social future
The message from Sindh is powerful and clear if you want to empower a woman first give her the means to move The rest as the determined faces of the new owners show she will accomplish on her own