For Ange Sandrine Uwimbabazi, the decision to become a chauffeur was not unexpected, given her previous decade-long experience as an instructor at a driving school in Kigali. However, it wasn’t a path she had specifically dreamt of during her childhood.

Now, she hopes to inspire more women to venture into the transport sector.

As a young girl, Uwimbabazi dreamed of having an office job, in an administrative position. But her life’s journey took a different turn.

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In 2012, Uwimbabazi, who had studied accounting, got a job as a cashier at a driving school in Kigali. And before long, she became an instructor, especially for women who could not be trained by a man due to their religious affiliations.

In 2021, a vacancy for a female driver at the charity group Alight found Uwimbabazi equipped with Category B and D licenses.

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During an interview with The New Times, while on a short break before driving her employer to a function, 38-year-old Uwimbabazi reflected on her career.

"On my first day at Alight, I did not quite understand what the job was all about, apart from simply being a driver. But it entails travelling long distances almost every day, spending days away from my family, that sort of thing,” she said.

Her organisation works with refugees throughout the country. One day, she might drive to a refugee camp in Kirehe, located in the Eastern Province, and the following day, she could be hundreds of kilometers away in Karongi, situated in the Western Province.

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Life as a female driver

Uwimbabazi lives in Bumbogo, Gasabo District, with her husband and three children.

Two years into her career, Uwimbabazi is all smiles when she talks about waking up every morning to sit behind the wheel.

"Ever since I discovered that becoming a driver was my career path, I have dedicated myself wholeheartedly. And I thoroughly enjoy the work,” she said in a calm manner.

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In spite of a growing number of women joining the transport industry as drivers of buses and taxi-motos, many in Rwandan society have not fully grasped that a woman can do the job as efficiently as men.

"It took two weeks before my supervisor could let me drive the organisation’s car because he doubted my abilities. But when he finally gave me the key, he was impressed,” said Uwimbabazi, who now drives the organisation’s country director, and is the transport logistics facilitator.

But generally speaking, women drivers’ skills are always doubted, she said.

"Imagine that you have been assigned to drive a team of people to a location within one of the provinces, and none of them are truly confident about arriving safely. Additionally, imagine that if you make a mistake while on the road, someone attributes it to ‘being a woman’, even though men also make similar mistakes,” she said.

But that’s changing, Uwimbabazi noted. She commends bus companies that have decided to employ women. "I take pleasure in seeing a woman driving a big bus or riding a bike.”

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"Female drivers are sought-after”

If there’s anything that annoys Uwimbabazi, it is a woman with a driving license sitting at home, waiting to get an office job.

"Female drivers are sought-after all across the industry. Sometimes, my employer wonders if they will get another female driver because there’s a shortage of those who are willing to do this job,” she said.

For Uwimbabazi, women should not get driving licenses hoping to drive their own cars or take children to school. They need to turn it into a job opportunity, she said.

"They should confront their fears and join us in the career. The transport industry today is ‘ripe’ for women who are ready to make it a source of living,” she said.