These streets aren’t safe for women all over the world. Knowing how to drive or even having your own car has a multitude of benefits for women and girls. If you don’t have your driver’s license, here are some of the reasons why you need to look into getting one as soon as possible. You will thank us later.
1.Most job adverts nowadays require the applicants to be in possession of a valid driver’s license. The company could have a pool of cars at it’s disposal and it would be more convenient and faster if you could drive everywhere. Living in Harare, it could take an hour to commute between places to run errands. Having someone that can drive simplifies the logistics of the company meaning more can be achieved during the day.
2.Having your own car means that you can now work longer hours. When I was studying journalism at NUST, my lecturer explained to us that girls do better than boys in school but boys are the ones that get the jobs. His argument was that women had curfews and couldn’t work certain hours for their safety. I could relate because when I was working in advertising, I couldn’t work overtime like my male peers because I had to be home before sunset to avoid getting mugged or worse. You don’t want to find yourself in this tricky situation.
3.Having your own car gives you the freedom to move around as you please. Imagine you’re at a party, something happens and you no longer want to be there. It’s late and dark outside. The person that brought you is still having the time of their life. Now you are held ransom by the driver. The driver dictates when the party will end. The driver is probably drinking meaning with every minute you spend at that party, they are becoming more and more incapacitated and unfit to drive. Whereas, if you had your own car, you could drive off when you feel like it or be the designated driver if the situation calls for it.
If you plan on having a family you’re going to be a mother. Children spend more time with the mother than the father. In case of emergency, you need to know how to handle a vehicle to get the child emergency health services. Ambulances are unreliable and it would take a shorter time if you rush the child to the hospital yourself.
It costs $5,00 to buy the Highway Code from the Traffic Council of Zimbabwe. There are free Provisional Tests apps available for download on the Google Play store. You’ll need to carry your Highway code with you when you go and write your provisional test, along with your ID and license photos. To register to write your provisional costs $20 and you need to pass 23/25 questions in a short test that is 8 minutes long.
