[“SELLING GASOLINE FOR WOMEN IS A CRIME”?]

In South Korea, the term “Kim Yeo-sa,” also known as “Madam Kim,” is often used to refer to women participating in traffic—particularly female drivers—as a way of implying that their driving skills are inferior or slower than those of men. Similarly, in Vietnam, a common joking remark when seeing women driving is “Don’t let women take the wheel.” Why is it that women encounter so many stereotypes and barriers in what should be considered an entirely ordinary activity?

“Selling gasoline to women is a crime!” This is just one of countless so-called “jokes” aimed at women when they take part in driving or operating vehicles. Unintentionally, such remarks create and reinforce barriers of prejudice regarding women’s driving abilities.

In social perceptions, women are often associated with traits such as meticulousness, carefulness, and dexterity in their work. However, alongside this view, a significant number of people believe that women lack the skills and reflexes necessary to confidently take control of the wheel. Even for female drivers working in the transportation sector—where high levels of concentration and rapid situational response are essential—such stereotypes have become deeply entrenched doubts. ¹Ms. Lee Yeon Ji, founder of the Unnie Car program and a female driver passionate about speed in South Korea, shared: “People I meet on the road or at repair shops tend to assume at first that I’m not a good driver and that I lack knowledge about cars simply because I’m a woman. And when they realize that I actually know these things well, they say, ‘You’re a woman, yet you’re so good.’”

So what about everyday traffic situations?

A minor difficulty in parking, or a slightly delayed reaction to unexpected traffic situations, is often enough for women to be labeled as poor drivers. While it cannot be denied that driving competence and vehicle-handling skills do play a role, the majority of such judgments stem from an excessive tendency to stereotype women. In certain cases, these incidents are even unnecessarily exaggerated. For example, traffic accidents involving women often receive disproportionate attention, despite the fact that women statistically cause fewer traffic accidents than men.  ²According to Injury Prevention—a reputable public health journal based in the United Kingdom—men driving cars and trucks are twice as likely as women to be involved in serious traffic accidents. For cargo trucks, the ratio between male and female drivers is 4:1. Most strikingly, in the case of motorcycles, male riders are ten times more likely than female riders to cause serious accidents. The way the media approaches such incidents also raises significant concerns. Sensational headlines such as “Female driver causes accident…”—or even “Female street racer”—are often accompanied by exaggerated narratives and graphic behind-the-scenes images. Meanwhile, similar traffic accidents caused by men are typically reported in much more neutral terms, often reduced to the generic phrase “the driver…”. More troubling is the fact that much of the public discourse surrounding women driving focuses disproportionately on gender-based explanations, rather than on careful analysis of the actual circumstances and facts of each incident. 

WHEN PREJUDICE BECOMES A HINDRANCE

Initially, the controversy around women driving might seem understandable. However, beneath the surface, these invisible barriers have both direct and indirect effects on women's participation in traffic.

The first "hit" from these prejudices is on women’s mentality when driving. Many women may feel a lack of confidence or uncertainty about their abilities. On a larger scale, it may have an impact on job opportunities for female drivers. Looking at recruiting information from some transportation companies, it is rare to see images of female drivers with specialized vehicles like container trucks or semi-trailers. Even in businesses linked to e-commerce platforms or retail locations, the number of female drivers is not high, though the job in those places seems more accessible. In the long run, questioning women’s safety as drivers further delays progress in gender equality. This largely stems from a rigid perspective that resists re-evaluating and adapting to reality fairly and objectively.

FIRMLY GRIPPING THE WHEEL - ON THE ROAD AND IN LIFE

Despite prejudices that claim women are incapable in the transportation sector, there are women who have proven their resilience, courage, and skill. Ngô Hạnh has been a container truck driver for seven years. Before committing to this profession, she faced strong opposition from her family and loved ones. Similarly, Phạm Thị Thu Thảo, a train driver on Metro Line 1, Ho Chi Minh City, had a stable job before making an unexpected career shift: becoming the only female train driver on this metro line. She shared: "At first, everyone said this job was for men, but I believe that’s not true, because as long as you have passion and love for that job, you can do it well no matter what your gender is."³

From these stories, it is clear that gender-based prejudices in the transportation industry are baseless and overly generalized. Women totally have abilities and bravery to sit behind the wheel, participate in traffic safely, and handle jobs that demand precision and responsibility. We need media campaigns as well as practical initiatives just like the way we have done for women in other fields for many years. Together with this are comprehensive, professional, and hands-on training programs, which should be developed to create learning environments and career opportunities for women who are passionate about this field. Most importantly, we must have an open and fair perspective when evaluating an individual's abilities rather than solely judging by gender. After all, safety is not determined by gender but by skills and experience. Regardless of age or gender, everyone needs time to master the wheel, both on the road and in life.

Reference materials:
¹According to The Korea Times, 17/02/2023

²According to Injury Invention

³According to Báo Tuổi trẻ Online, 12/11/2024

⁴According to Báo Tuổi trẻ Online, 18/12/2024

Author: Nguyen Thu Trang

Translators: Bui Ngoc Linh, Nguyen Thanh Hai