Meet Arti, Auto Driver From Uttar Pradesh, Receives UK Royal Award

This week, an eighteen-year-old e-rickshaw driver from a village in the Bahraich region of Uttar Pradesh was thrilled to meet King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, following her win of a women's empowerment award in London. Arti stands out as one of the pioneering female pink e-rickshaw drivers in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. On Wednesday, Arti was presented with the Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award at the Prince's Trust Awards in London. The awards bears the name of the well-known human rights attorney, as per reports.

Meet Arti

She was first introduced to the Pink E-Rickshaw program by the Indian government in July 2023 through Project Lehar, which is run in collaboration with Prince's Trust International and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). The program's goal is to empower women and increase their access to income-generating opportunities throughout India. The Bahraich district government offered pink e-rickshaws with a subsidy for female drivers as part of an innovative plan. This initiative aims to increase employment opportunities for underprivileged women, especially widows and single mothers like Arti, by improving their access to safe transportation, therefore boosting their mobility and independence.

Arti has a five-year-old daughter, for whom she purchased cake and shoes on her first trip to London. Her efforts with the government's Pink E-rickshaw project, which provides safe transportation for other women on a mission to actually drive change, earned her recognition for motivating other young girls.

"We are immensely grateful for our partnership with Prince's Trust International, which has enabled us to support young women in achieving their aspirations. "Here's to many more Artis: believe in yourself, and never let anything dim the light of your ambitions," said Tinni Sawhney, CEO of AKF (India), who was also Arti's friend and interpreter.

Meet this year’s @KingsTrustInt, Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment winner, Arti!

After taking part in AKF’s Project Lehar, Arti has become one of the first female pink e-rickshaw drivers in Uttar Pradesh, India, providing safe transport for other women in her community! pic.twitter.com/dfM4gkOlJ9

— Aga Khan Foundation India (@AKF_India) May 22, 2024

Founded by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales, the Prince’s Trust International will now transform into the King’s Trust International as it continues its work supporting young people across 20 countries through employment, education and enterprise programmes. The Prince's Trust Women's Empowerment Award recognises the achievements of young women throughout the world who have triumphed against hardship to improve the lives of people around them.