By Jane Joshua
The prevailing economic situation in the country has changed conventional means of livelihood in a society where patriarchy mostly dominates socio-economic ladder.
A picture of such unusual scene was seen in Awka where some women now make out a living in the transportation business.
In this report, our correspondent Jane Joshua reports that Miss Stella Onyilogwu is one of such women who has decided to venture into the male dominated shuttle business in Awka
The nature of the modern society has altered basic career systems, where most jobs are seen a prerogative of the male gender.
Seeing women do jobs like commercial driving, barbing, shoe making, painting, building, perhaps gives credence to the gender-tussle phrase that what a man can do, a woman can do better.
Miss Stella Onyilogwu, an undergraduate student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka is into commercial shuttle driving and revealed that the economic situation of the country made it difficult for her to leave some responsibilities for her father to shoulder alone, since the demise of her mother, adding that instead of staying idle, she had to source for an income to sponsor her education.
Miss Onyilogwu disclosed some challenges faced in the line of the business to include discrimination from male drivers, harrasment, illegal collection of payments from individuals who pose as government officials and touting, but added that she has come to accept it as the normal side of the job.
She advised young people who have the zeal for driving to venture into the business as it is a lucrative means of becoming self reliant, saying that women in the business have always had better patronage.
ABS also spoke to some male drivers including Mr Ezinna Okpara and Mr Emmanuel Igwe who said that they are comfortable accommodating females in the transport business, adding that such will create an avenue for them to support their families financially.
Some commuters including Mr Stanley Uchechukwu and Grace Obidimma said they had no troubles patronizing female transport drivers and urged young females not to remain idle or depend solely on their parents or government for jobs.
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