Karachi’s women delivery riders navigate traffic, stigma and the road to independence

Karachi, On the chaotic streets of Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, where motorcycles weave through relentless traffic and street crime remains a concern, four women are challenging the idea that food and parcel delivery is a man's job.Karachi’s women delivery riders navigate traffic, stigma and the road to independenceMehak Baloch, Rubab Jubani, Sana Urooj and Kiran Fateh have chosen the motorcycle as their route to financial independence, taking up delivery work to support their children and families.Their journeys are different, but the circumstances that pushed them onto the roads are strikingly similar.For these women, riding through Karachi is not simply about earning a living. It is also about negotiating a society where women on motorcycles, particularly those working on the streets, remain an uncommon sight.At 32, Mehak Baloch has been working as a food delivery rider since her husband died of a terminal illness four years ago. Her earnings have since helped keep her household running and support her four children."At first I used to go out for work dressed and looking like a man as I felt insecure. But over time, I feel more confident now about going to work every day. Nothing can give me the happiness I get from providing for my four children independently," Baloch said.Sana Urooj was divorced by her husband and left to raise their two children. Instead of allowing the circumstances to hold her back, she decided to take up delivery work."I saw an interview about Rubab Jubani, how she became Karachi's first female food delivery rider to support her family, and it inspired me. Thankfully, my family has been supportive as well," Urooj said.Jubani, the oldest of the four, began working as a food delivery rider in 2019. She had always been passionate about riding motorcycles and received encouragement from her father.But when she started working, her father worried about what people might say and do, as well as the security situation in Karachi."I just told him Allah will look after me," Jubani recalled.The profession also gained a new importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for home deliveries surged as people stayed indoors.Today, thousands of delivery riders criss-cross Karachi on motorcycles. For a city of more than 20 million people, delivery work has become an important source of livelihood for many who have limited opportunities in traditional blue-collar jobs.Karachi's reputation as a city of food lovers has also helped fuel the growth of digital food delivery, with residents increasingly relying on online platforms to have meals brought to their doorsteps.Kiran Fateh, also a single mother, says she had to overcome social expectations and personal hardships before she could become financially independent."I chose to take control of my life after a hardship in our family. Balancing motherhood and trying to be financially independent are tough but rewarding," Fateh said.Female motorcyclists remain relatively uncommon on Karachi's roads in 2026. But there are signs that the barriers to women's mobility are slowly being challenged.The Sindh government has recently launched a scheme to provide electric scooters to women, aimed at helping working professionals, students and female entrepreneurs overcome transport barriers and become financially independent.The scheme, managed by the Sindh Mass Transit Authority, gives priority to single mothers and widows.For Fateh, such initiatives are a sign that attitudes are changing, both within institutions and on the streets."For female delivery riders like me, initially people used to stare curiously and oddly at me and even pass negative remarks about my appearance, and there were safety concerns."But as I kept on working, even late at night, I saw more encouragement and protective appreciation from everyone," she said.She has also experienced another, less expected, side of working on the streets, saying she had been given big tips many times just to show appreciation for her grit and courage."I have also witnessed how male riders in our field are always prepared to help us out and give us a sense of protection," she added.For Baloch, however, the most difficult part of the job is more mundane Karachi's traffic and the sheer amount of time spent on the road.The gruelling schedule can leave her exhausted as she tries to balance long hours of work with her responsibilities as a mother."But I know that in these tough economic conditions at least I am trying to secure a future for my children," she said.Despite the risks associated with working late and travelling through unfamiliar parts of the city, none of the four women said they had fallen victim to street crime while making deliveries.Urooj said one reason was the support they receive from male colleagues. "Our male colleagues guide us by telling us which areas to avoid for deliveries, and our company also doesn't allow us to take orders for certain areas to avoid any mishaps," she added.For these four women, the motorcycle has therefore become a way to earn, raise children and, perhaps most importantly, claim a little more space for themselves on the streets of Karachi.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.