VANTAGE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS GRAB INDONESIA IN EMPOWERING WOMEN DRIVER-PARTNER

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On 19 December 2024, Vantage Foundation is proud to announce its partnership with Grab Indonesia in support of their Wiramudi Grab program, that is designed to empower women and help women earn an income with flexible working hours as a Grab driver-partner across Indonesia.

Launched in April 2024, the Wiramudi Grab program was designed to address the specific challenges faced by women in the workforce, particularly the difficulty in balancing rigid working hours with family responsibilities. Through its flagship campaign, Melaju dengan Syantiek, the program emphasizes the message of "Progress without Compromise," highlighting that women should not have to choose between their career, family, or education. By joining as Grab driver partners, the program offers the flexibility for women to set their own working hours, competitive earning opportunities, and access to a wide range of benefits.

Through this partnership, Vantage Foundation has helped many women join the Grab platform by overcoming key barriers, including lack of capital and necessary driving equipment. Participants have received essential resources and financial support to start their journey as Grab driver-partners.

A focus group conducted by Grab Indonesia revealed that nearly half of the women cited access to capital and equipment as the most significant obstacles to joining the platform. This partnership has addressed these barriers, enabling women to become financially independent while supporting their families.

Since the start of the partnership in November 2024, more than 1,000 new women have joined the platform, and hundreds of existing female drivers have also benefited from the added capital, enabling them to drive and earn again.    

"Through this partnership, we are not only providing the tools women need to succeed but also creating a ripple effect of positive change," said Steven Xie, Executive Director of Vantage Foundation. "We are proud to be part of a campaign that promotes progress and empowers women to move forward without compromise."

The real-life impact of the Wiramudi Grab program is highlighted through testimonials from women drivers. A single mother from Bali shared how Grab's daily EV bike rentals helped her focus on earning without worrying about vehicle costs. Similarly, a driver from Makassar expressed how being a Grab driver allowed her to support her family after her husband suffered a stroke. These stories demonstrate the program's significant impact on empowering women and improving their communities.

Grab's commitment to supporting its women driver-partners goes beyond financial assistance, by offering comprehensive safety features to ensure their security during rides, including a Women Passenger Preferred toggle to allow women drivers to indicate in the app that they prefer to be matched with women passengers. The company also provides training and education, safety SOPs, and vehicle service discounts through their various programs to provide support for their women driver-partners.

"At Grab, providing economic empowerment especially to disadvantaged communities like women (and People with Disabilities) is at the heart of our mission. By partnering with the Vantage Foundation, we've been able to remove key barriers and provide women with the capital and create income opportunities for themselves and their families. Together, we are fostering an inclusive community where women can thrive both at home and in the workforce," said Rivana Mezaya, Director of Digital and Sustainability at Grab Indonesia.

The Wiramudi Grab program started in April 2024 and is designed to help women earn income as Grab driver partners. In addition to providing income opportunities, the program offers ease for women to grow on the Grab platform. It is available in 18 cities across Indonesia.

To find out more about Grab and its initiatives, visit their website and for more about Melaju dengan Syantiek, visit Grab Indonesia Youtube channel.    

About Grab

Grab is a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, operating across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors. Serving over 700 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – Grab enables millions of people everyday to order food or groceries, send packages, hail a ride or taxi, pay for online purchases or access services such as lending and insurance, all through a single app. Grab was founded in 2012 with the mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone. Grab strives to serve a triple bottom line – we aim to simultaneously deliver financial performance for our shareholders and have a positive social impact, which includes economic empowerment for millions of people in the region, while mitigating our environmental footprint.    

About Vantage Foundation

Vantage Foundation is an independent charitable organisation launched at the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK in 2023. The foundation has worked with charity organisations around the world, including the iREDE Foundation in Nigeria, Teach For Malaysia in Malaysia, and Instituto Claret in Brazil.

For more information, please visit www.vantage.foundation