A resident of Bolivia opened a taxi “Woman Driving”

Bolivia has one of the highest rates of sexualized violence against women in Latin America. Knowing about this problem and the fact that women are regularly kidnapped and raped by taxi drivers, single mother Gabriela Strauss decided to open her own taxi service.

“I didn’t want any family to go through this. And I had the idea to use my car and provide safe and reliable transportation for loved ones,” says Strauss.

The woman worked at Uber for a couple of months to develop her own business plan. She then posted about her project on Facebook.

“It was a real boom! People started reposting. I couldn’t believe it,” the woman recalls.

According to Strauss, when ordering a taxi, customers receive documents with a photo of the driver and her name. There are currently 38 women and seven men working at Woman in Wheels, who provide assistance to clients in wheelchairs.

Strauss emphasizes that her staff never leaves children unaccompanied, even if that means parking the car and waiting for other adults. Her project also became an opportunity for other women - such as single mothers and retirees - to find flexible work.

So, Jacqueline Diaz decided to learn to drive and get a job in a taxi after her 12-year-old daughter was almost kidnapped by unknown people. The police did not find the culprit, and the woman realized how important the safety of the children was.

Gabriela Strauss is now planning to develop an application for her taxi ordering service. She believes that such services should be available in every country, because women, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable categories of the population not only in Bolivia, but throughout the world.