In celebration of the International Women’s Month, Grab Philippines reaffirms its commitment in “Breaking the Bias” and promoting gender equality and women empowerment as it supports its female drivers, and delivery-partners to rise above the day-to-day challenges of being women on the road.
In line with Grab’s mission of providing inclusive livelihood opportunities, the Philippines’ leading superapp is doubling-down its efforts to have more female representation within its driver and delivery-partner communities.
For prospective female delivery-partners, Grab’s Partner Centers across Metro Manila provides end-to-end assistance from application to onboarding, while female driver-partners can access any of the Grab Driver Centers across the country for any assistance or concerns they may have as they start their journey.
Over the years, Grab became more than just a source of income for the female drivers and delivery-partners in the platform. Aside from the capacity to provide for their families, the super app enabled them to thrive in an environment where their safety and welfare is top priority.
For delivery-partner Ellice Mae Fabian Atilano, Grab opened the doors for a single mom like her to pursue her dreams for her son.
“Grab helped me a lot not only financially but also emotionally, as Grab gave light to my darkest days. I am very thankful because I was able to provide everything for my son and my family, while being able to meet different people and experience new things. As a single mother and a woman fighting for my child, Grab gave me an opportunity to prove myself and help my family at the same time,” Atilano shared.
Meanwhile, for Rachel Rotante-Navarroza of Davao City, being a delivery-partner allowed her to wear many hats—all while also augmenting her family’s income alongside her husband who’s also a Grab delivery-partner.
“It was actually my husband’s idea to get me a driver’s license and a motorcycle, but then eventually, I decided to become a Grab rider, too. I found it as a blessing to our family because it helped us with our daily needs and allowed me to spend more time with my family,” Rotante-Navarroza shared.
Being on the road for quite some time now, female drivers and delivery-partners have had their fair share of experiences with all sorts of passengers and customers. However, they found that some people still get surprised seeing a woman deliver essential goods and services—which they think were roles traditionally held by men.
For driver-partner Gina Dayao, the surprise of her passengers is usually accompanied by relief, with some passengers feeling more comfortable and safe with a female driver behind the wheel.
“Most of them were really surprised that women can also do traditionally-male jobs as well, and people sometimes still ask me if female Grab drivers really exist! A lot of elderly and female passengers wish to have more female drivers because they feel more comfortable, safe, and they’re satisfied with the service as they are accompanied to their destination,” Dayao said.
Seeing women taking on roles in the male-dominated transport industry helps empower female passengers as well, as observed by driver-partner Ann Justine Salo Millare.
“Most passengers admire my guts and will to do Grab, and some would even ask why I’m doing it—they can’t believe that I was able to utilize my SUV as a GrabCar! I always get comments from female passengers saying that they wish they also had the courage to drive, and I would encourage them and explain the benefits of driving, then they say, Girl Power is real!” Millare shared.
Prioritizing safety and security
Feeling safe and secure also helps Grab’s female drivers and delivery-partners to navigate their day-to-day work. Given the nature of the job, Grab provides all drivers and delivery-partners with the necessary tools and tech to keep themselves safe on the road and ensures the legitimacy of every booking they get.
Through the Grab Help Center, each driver and delivery-partner has access to dedicated emergency hotlines, 24/7 driver assistance, and ensuring the accurate location of merchants and customers for every booking made on the app.
To provide added peace of mind, Grab has also improved location-sharing features that allow drivers to share their whereabouts and mitigate potential risks. In its commitment to protecting all its stakeholders, Grab ensures that no customer will be allowed to create fake bookings, to safeguard the welfare of every driver, delivery, and merchant-partner on the platform.
“At Grab, we are committed to ensuring that all our drivers and delivery-partners have access to meaningful livelihood opportunities through our tech and platform—regardless of their gender. In line with our mission to make life better for every Filipino, we believe that by empowering our female drivers and delivery-partners, we enable them to break the bias that exists in this line of work, as we advance our advocacy for gender equality in the industry,” says Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz.
To learn more about Grab’s assistance programs for drivers and delivery-partners, visit any of the Grab Driver Centres or log on to https://www.grab.com/ph/.
