Uttar Pradesh’s Pink E-Rickshaw Driver Shines Bright With UK Royal Award

Prince’s Trust International, founded by King Charles when he was Prince of Wales, will now become King’s Trust International as it continues its work to support young people in 20 countries through employment, education, and entrepreneurship programmes. An 18-year-old rickshaw driver from a village in Uttar Pradesh, India, was delighted to meet King Charles III at Buckingham Palace after receiving a prestigious women’s empowerment award in London this week. “This year’s winner, Arti, is an inspiring example of someone whose pioneering work in a typically male arena is making women safer in their community. Arti is determined to create a world where her daughter does not face the obstacles she faced, and she is already leading by example,” said British activist Amal Clooney, the lawyer after whom the award is named. Arti arrived at the Buckingham Palace reception in a pink rickshaw – presenting it not only as a sustainable means of transport but also as an idea and a movement. In July 2023, Project Lehar, in partnership with Prince’s Trust International and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), launched the Government of India’s Pink E-Rickshaw programme, an initiative to empower women and expand their income-earning opportunities worldwide. According to the innovative system, the Bahraich Regional Administration in Uttar Pradesh, has issued pink e-rickshaws to women drivers.