A case study of challenges of female auto drivers at Ranchi

Students enrolled in the M.A. Development programme at Azim Premji University (APU), Bangalore, undertake a field project consisting of research, action-project or intervention in areas such as rural livelihoods, disability rights, agriculture and land rights, citizenship and identity, gender and sexuality. The project entails 30 weeks of research, fieldwork and analysis at the end of which the students present their findings and observations through posters and presentations.

The poster by Varsha Rani studies the socio-economic, health, and technological challenges faced by female auto-drivers in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The study employed a mixed method: 29 surveys and 13 interviews were conducted. The female auto-drivers faced myriad challenges, including financial burdens as 10 of them reported earning less than 20,000 every month. Their health is regularly compromised as they work through pain, fatigue, and illness, often skipping meals and not resting even during menstruation. Female auto drivers face a lack of dignity and basic facilities—no access to washrooms forces them to manage menstrual hygiene in their autos or behind bushes, while facing sexist remarks from male drivers. The study recognises that all these challenges are interconnected and there is a need to ensure basic public infrastructure and tech skills for the workers to save time, reduce fatigue, and boost earnings.