In Mideast countries, women feel safer in "pink taxis"

By Cam McGrath
1. Fleets of 'pink' taxis, driven by women, are cruising the streets of Middle East cities, providing a safe
and comfortable ride for women wary of getting into taxis driven by men. 'Many times I had problems with
(male) drivers acting indecently,' said Noha Mohammed, a veiled Egyptian housewife. 'When I told my
husband, he refused to let me take taxis, but he wasn't always available to drive me places, and so I stayed
home. When I heard that there were taxis with women drivers, I was excited.'

2. For example, Iran rolled out its first women-only taxis in late 2006. The United Arab Emirates,
Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait and Egypt have also added such services. Proponents say these services improve the
mobility of women in conservative Middle East societies and reduce the risk of sexual harassment. But critics
warn they may reinforce the segregation of women and undermine hard-won advances in gender equality.

3. Nawal Yaghi Fakhri, owner of Banet Taxi, said she launched her women-only taxi service in
Beirut in March 2009 as a safe and convenient alternative to regular taxis. The company's 10 signature
hot-pink Peugeots serve women traveling alone or with their family. 'Women take more care in driving
than men,' Fakhri told the German Press Agency (DPA). 'And our female clients may feel more
comfortable for other reasons.' In Egypt, the idea was greatly appreciated. Women have taken to social
media to welcome the idea, with many wondering if the service will be available where they live."I've
always been a huge fan of the concept, I'm thrilled it's finally in Egypt," wrote Sunny Side Up on the
Pink Taxi Egypt (PTE) Facebook page. "Good luck and hopefully females will be safer in this harsh
environment." Marlin Moawed wrote it was a great idea because "regular taxi drivers are very
aggressive against women".

4. Recently, there have been rising fears of sexual harassment and rape, amid a large number of reported
cases involving taxis and public transport. Some Middle East countries have also designated sections on buses
and trains exclusively for female passengers. Despite the fact of these arguments, it is said the solution to
harassment and gender-based violence requires hard work, proper planning, and studying the root causes, as
opposed to creating areas designated for women that restricted and isolated them. Nihad Abu al-Komsan, head
of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR), says that while more needs to be done to protect women
from sexual harassment and assault, women-only transportation is a 'naive solution' to a complex problem.
'These services represent a setback to movements for the equality of men and women,' she said. 'They isolate
women from society without addressing the (root causes of) problems such as sexual harassment ... and they
reduce women's participation in public life.'

5. Some argue, however, that women-only transportation services respect cultural values while enabling
women to participate more freely and independently. 'We live in traditional Arab countries and it is not easy for
ladies to take a regular taxi,' said Mohamed Hassan, an agent at Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA),
which supervises the city's women-only taxi dispatch service. 'The pink taxis make it easier for ladies to go to
work or activities, and this helps them (integrate with) society.'

6. Rimo Tours , which runs a fleet of ‘pink’ taxis in Cairo, launched its women-only service last month in
response to high customer demand. 'More than 80 per cent of our clients are women asking for female drivers,'
said Reem Fawzy, the company's owner and general manager. 'We have twenty female drivers now and will
hire more soon. Rimo Tours 'pink' taxis are glossy grey, like the rest of its fleet with a pink sticker on the sides
of the car. Fawzy hopes Cairo's governor will reconsider the firm's request to paint the cars a distinguishing
shade of pink. 'The color causes confusion,' he said. 'The service is just for women. Of course if a woman comes
with her husband we cannot refuse.'

7. Al-Azhar, the highest authority in Sunni Islam, has endorsed the concept of women-driven taxis,
provided they serve only female clientele. In a fatwa it urged authorities to pass legislation to ensure the safety
of women who work in this field.

8. Most pink services in the region provide safety training for their female drivers and some operate only
during daylight hours, as is the case with Rimo Tours which operates from 6:00 AM till 11:00 PM. While the
restricted hours are intended to protect the drivers, it means the service is not available when needed most.
'Most problems happen at night,' said Dina Adil, an Egyptian university student. '(Male) taxi drivers eye you up
in the rear-view mirror and make lewd comments or sexual advances. Whenever a driver takes an unexpected
turn or goes down a dark street I get very scared.'

9. Male taxi drivers have responded with suspicion to women's incursion into a profession that has
traditionally been a male preserve. 'It's more than just driving. It's about being able to handle yourself in any
situation,' said Ashraf Ibrahim, a Cairo taxi driver. 'Taxis break down, traffic police harass you and other drivers
can become violent. At these times, it's better to have a man driving.'

10. Nonetheless, Rimo Tours company is ready with contingency plans in case of emergency. The taxis will
all be connected by GPS as well as a built-in camera to facilitate the process of rescue in case of emergency
which will in turn ease any difficulty faced by the female drivers and provide needed safety and security for
female passengers. Dalia Mohamed, one of the female taxi drivers has confirmed, “we have an emergency
button in each car, once pressed, assistance comes from the nearest company office to help solve any problem”.
The offices are distributed all over Cairo and Giza which ensures prompt rescue.

11. The idea of Pink Taxis continues to catch up; many young Egyptian ladies are getting into this
profession as a solution to the increasing rate of unemployment and as a means of financial support to
their families. Nour Gaber, for example, started driving a taxi in 2009 after she and her husband
separated and she became the sole support of her three children. Even though she is an agricultural
engineer, she was unable to find a job in that field. "To pay the bills she bought a taxi and hired it to a
male driver," wrote British newspaper, The Guardian. "When he proved to be unreliable, Gaber
decided she could make more money driving it herself." That being said, it becomes clear that opposite
to what many may think, Pink Taxis are here to stay. Women of Egypt: you rock!

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Critical Reading Questions:

1. What is the controversy in this article? What is the writer's position? (2 marks)
2. What is the purpose of the text? (1 marks)
3. What is the writer’s tone? Give evidence. (3 marks)

4. Summarise the arguments the writer uses to support his position. (3 marks)

[Link] the counterarguments. How are they refuted? (3 marks)

[Link] the writer’s refutation (3 marks)

7.a) There are different fallacious appeals in the following paragraphs. Identify the appeal and
explain why it is fallacious. (3 marks)

Paragraph 5 - Paragraph 7 - Paragraph 10

b) Explain why the following statements are fallacious (2 marks)

1. 'Women take more care in driving than men,' Fakhri told the German Press Agency.’ (parag 3)
2. They reduce women's participation in public life. (parag 4)

8. What do these words mean in context? (1.5 marks)

c. it (parag 7)