Unlike many other transgenders, Rani Kinnar refused to beg for a living. She fought against society and broke all social barriers to create a life of dignity for herself.
Recently, Rani Kinnar has become India’s first five-star-rated cab driver for Uber, a multinational transport company.
Being aware of how our society treats transgender unfair and derogatory, Rani’s achievement is a ray of hope for a kinder and empathetic society.
But, Rani’s success journey had many challenges and setbacks. Early on in her career, she drove an auto-rickshaw which people refused to board.
While sharing how our society treated her, she shared with ANI:
“I started driving auto in 2016, but it didn’t work for me because people didn’t use my auto. But in 2017, I opted to drive an ambulance during the Ratha Yatra in Puri.”
An ex-Uber employee introduced Rani to the new world of cab driving by encouraging her to join the firm as a partner driver.
Post clearing her interview, she purchased her own car. Her story of finding a way to earn with dignity has inspired many more people from her community.
Snehashree Kinnar, another member of the trans community in Odisha, shared:
“Seeing Rani ma’am, I have become her follower and want to become a driver myself. As you see people, especially girls, feel safe with us while they are traveling during late hours in comparison to male drivers who seem risky”