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In the driving seat in a man’s world
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simultaneously, and inspiring other women to join Uber – many of whom have already followed her suit.
Although she initially feared negative responses, she realised that most of her passengers are pleasantly surprised to find her behind the wheel. Many of them even commented that women are better drivers, she said.
“Many men told me they felt safer [knowing I was the driver] when their wives took Uber. With a male driver, they would be nervous and either constantly be on the phone or track the location.”
A religious man, however, once declined to board a car driven by a woman, she said.
“On the other hand, women get ecstatic to get me as their driver. Many even asked if there could be an option where female passengers would only get female drivers for them to feel safe and not be hounded by uncomfortable questions.”
According to her, this independent profession enables her to move away from the conventional nine-to-five jobs.
“I can start work after finishing my household chores and giving time to my children. I start in the afternoon and drive till 2:00am. On days that I have other work, I can choose not to drive.
“And by driving three to four days a week, I can earn on average Tk 15,000. And if someone drives 12 hours at a stretch, they can easily earn up to Tk 6,000 a day. Uber also has a special incentive for its female drivers that helps cover fuel expenses.”
Leuza also said she has not yet had any bad experience with regard to her safety. “Both Uber and my family can track my whereabouts and know who is taking the ride.”
According to her, this can be a great profession for women, especially in countries like Bangladesh, where there is an existing gender gap in employment and pay, while not all working environments are women-friendly.
“Landing a white-collar job is not always easy for women. Those who, like me, love driving and have a car can easily take up this as a profession – keeping in mind that no job is big or small… In many developed countries, even female doctors sometimes take up driving to make an extra buck between shifts. Why should it be embarrassing for us?”
Contacted, an Uber Bangladesh spokesperson told The Daily Star that Uber offers lucrative incentives for women driver-partners on their platform and has forged multiple partnerships to enable more women to earn through Uber.
“Our robust in-app safety features are built keeping in mind the safety of both riders and drivers, regardless of their gender… A driver-partner like Leuza Akter Kristy inspires all of us and we hope that she serves as a role model to many other women, coming forward to join our platform for meaningful earning opportunities.”
Md Ali Armanur Rahman, region head -- East India and Bangladesh -- Uber, said, “Uber is deeply committed to empowering women in Bangladesh and inspiring them to overcome social stereotypes and biases through alternate livelihood choices. This can prove to be an economic lifeline for them, providing flexible, independent and alternate earning opportunities.
“Ever since we launched our operation in Bangladesh in 2016, over 100 women driver-partners have driven on our platform. Leuza is one of our valued and highly rated women driver-partners and we are proud to have someone like her driving Uber in Dhaka.”

War tests China- Russia’s bond
AFP, Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin toasted a friendship with “no limits” at a warm meeting in February, but just one month later that bond is being tested by the war in Ukraine.
With international outrage and sanctions mounting against Russia, Beijing is scrambling to avoid being tainted by association with Moscow while also maintaining their increasingly close ties.
Once bitter Cold War rivals, China and Russia have moved closer than ever since Xi Jinping took power nearly a decade ago, driven by their shared desire to confront US power.
But China seems to have been caught flat-footed by Russia’s military offensive, fierce Ukrainian resistance, and the volume of the resulting international anti-Kremlin backlash.
Beijing, which has long demanded respect for territorial integrity in border disputes with its own neighbours, has been forced into rhetorical contortions on Ukraine to avoid upsetting Russia.
While maintaining lip service to national sovereignty, China has insisted that Moscow’s security concerns regarding Ukraine and the broader expansion of the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) are valid.
It has refused to condemn Moscow, with Chinese government spokespersons remonstrating foreign journalists at press conferences who refer to the assault on Ukraine as an “invasion”.
Failure to finesse the situation puts Beijing at risk of being labelled a Putin enabler, potentially alienating Western trading partners and endangering the tenuous balance of links China has cultivated in recent years with both Russia and Ukraine.
The situation has effectively paralysed China, according to Richard Ghiasy, an expert at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies.
“Security interests virtually always trump economic interests” in China’s calculus, and it will not fundamentally shift toward a more pro-Ukraine stance, he told AFP.
Russia is “a giant, nuclear-armed and resource-rich neighbour” that China won’t risk agitating, Ghiasy said.
With little room to manoeuvre, China is adopting the mantle of mediator.
Xi urged Putin in a call last week to resolve the crisis by forming a “sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations”, and China’s foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart that Beijing “regrets” the conflict and hopes the two sides can find a diplomatic solution.
But any mediating role assumed by China would stop short of using its influence to get Putin to change, said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
“It is outward neutrality, but in reality, still on Russia’s side,” said Tsang.
A negotiated solution is now China’s least-bad scenario, according to analysts.
The worst case, said Tsang, would be for the tightening sanctions on Russia -- or a failure of its military objectives in Ukraine -- to result in an uprising that ousts Putin from power, potentially leading to a pro-Western government in Moscow.
“I doubt Xi wants to see the war in Ukraine escalate further,” Tsang said.