Hira, founder of SheKab, won runner-up place in the 2017 Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators competition, scooping a US $10,000 prize money and generating national press coverage for her business, including in the Pakistan Times, The Nation and the Pakistan Observer.

SheKab is a subscription based carpooling service, connecting women with cost-effective, safe reliable transport solutions. Delivered through a web-based platform, the business is an example of a sharing economy model being used to overcome a social barrier. By offering accessible, low-risk travel, SheKab addresses challenges of gender equality in Pakistan, empowering Pakistani women to access work opportunities, education and services safely.

“We see SheKab directly empowering our working women by addressing a systemic transportation problem that exists in Pakistan,” explains Hira.

Her service, launched in 2015, now boasts 43 drivers, including eight women, and over 800 users.