Scooty 2 (Corporate version)
Scooty…….
Yeah same Scooty that I thought could be a road to lead our women to empowerment. A means of transportation that would provide security against harassment of public transport, harassment of reaching home late after office hours and a means of family transport for many single middle class women who are bread winner for their families.
I put my thoughts in my previous post, discussed it with friends who belong to corporate sector, asked them their opinion and insight about the possibilities.
To my horror and surprise, an idea which was for middle class working women (for a start of trend in Lahore and Karachi alone) was rejected by women themselves, who are working independent, well educated, apparently confident, moderate and with updated with latest trends (in dressing atleast) desirous to help women, spokes person of women rights and above all women who have studied in best of institutes, travelled abroad and are no way conservative for themselves. Strange isn’t it? Yes my friends our women have dual standards. I do not want to discuss women and their approach here.
Scooty 2 is dedicated to my corporate friends, who before want to invest wants to secure 20% (atleast) of profit, long time business possibility and above all with minimum share of their own investment.
Basically a businessman only thinks like a businessman, he will never contribute to society, nation and future unless his profitability graph supports the idea.
A businessman looks at not only investment but also focuses at recovery of his investment, number of ‘ready’ clients and seeks opportunity granted by government.
Empowerment of women is a hope, dream and vision that cannot be judged or measured by scale of revenue return, time and profitability.
It only demands practical steps, patience, willingness and right people leading the vision. Purely corporate sector will never approve it.
As they have although valid reservations, but I am sure with deliberate planning there could be an answer. For instance, selling Scooty is not a big deal but providing after sale service and setting up service centers at different places within city, then probably training female staff to provide maintenance facility to female riders. These are very basic 2 issues that I foresee. Problems but within these problems I see opportunity for women employment.
We have a huge motorbike industry providing after sale service to the customers. I believe if Scooty is protected at government level, with zero import tax and for few years zero tax on sales and mandatory female staff at all service points. There could be some hope.
I was of the opinion that if a demand is created, Scooty will make its own place in the motorcycle industry. But now I feel Scooty needs to be protected, pampered, nurtured and supported by higher echelons of the society. Without government share of willingness, I see Scooty as a hope that has less hope in current situation unless we have real investments from NGO’s, government at federal and provincial levels and aid money to subsidies Scooty for the real needy portion of female gender.