Zahida Kazmi

Zahida Kazmi (Urdu: ) is a Pakistani woman known for being the country's first female taxi driver. Primarily operating in the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area, she has also driven customers to rocky, remote areas in the northern part of the country, such as Balakot, Chitral, Dir, Abbottabad, and Swat District. She has gained recognition for breaking gender stereotypes in the country.

Early life Kazmi was born in Peshawar to a Pashtun family. She married at the age of 13, after which she moved from Abbottabad to Karachi in 1972 owing to her husband's job with the Pakistan Navy. Her husband was a taxi driver himself, and had taught her how to drive. He became a prisoner of war during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, and was released some time later.

Following the death of her husband in 1981, that allowed her to buy her own taxi at affordable instalments. A Facebook page was created in September 2015 to collect donations to buy her a van. The donation target was reached after a few months, after which she received her van in May 2016. She limited herself to driving schoolchildren.

Recognition In 2011, BBC News covered her life story in an article, that led to greater coverage in both national and international media.

In 2015, Kazmi was honored by Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Limited (CCBPL) and UN Women at their annual Savvy and Successful ceremony for breaking stereotypes in the country.