Riding Past Stereotypes:
Student Finances Degree By Daring Male-dominated System
Written by: George Mukisa | Filmed by George Mukisa
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Mary Navonya has mastered to squeeze through Kampala’s maddening traffic with ease. It is a rare trait for women in Uganda’s capital where over four million people compete to make it to the central business district for business and opportunity..
The 24-year-old student of Business Administration is one of the few women making ends meet in the motorcycle taxi industry, the city’s largest public transport sector.
Called Boda Bodas, motorcycle taxis employ over 80 percent of the working population, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics majority being men.
This is largely because of social norms and attitudes that offer women softer opportunity options and also the insecurity that is attached to the bikes. The are the largest fatalities in Uganda’s road safety paradox
Navonya became a rider out of necessity in 2022 when her father lost his job and the family could no longer support her tuition and daily needs.
With no steady income and no background in riding, she set out to find work that could accommodate her academic schedule while still providing income.
“I needed a job that would allow me to continue with my studies and also survive,” she said. “Riding was not something I had ever thought of doing, but it was the option that gave me flexibility.”
Mary Navonya is a cyclist in Kampala. Photo by George Mukisa.
She started by selling liquid soap door to door, slowly saving up UGX 500,000. That money became the down payment for a motorbike she acquired through a loan from Watu Credit Uganda.
Her initial plan was to hire a rider to operate the motorbike, but when that failed to yield any income, she decided to ride it herself. She had never operated a motorcycle before, and the idea was met with resistance from her family.
“My mother didn’t support it at first. She was worried. But I told her I’d rather struggle than sit and wait for help that might never come,” Mary said.
Her early experiences as a female rider were difficult. Some passengers refused to board once they saw she was a woman. Others laughed or commented on her appearance. In Nansana, a group of male riders once knocked her off her bike, damaging her headlight and leaving her with bruises.
“There were days when I asked myself if I should quit,” she said. “But each time I remembered that I still had school to attend, rent to pay, and no one else to depend on. So I continued.”
Despite the setbacks, Mary gradually built up her skills and customer base. She now works with delivery platforms such as Glovo and takes on passenger rides in Kampala’s mid- to high-income areas like Ntinda and Kololo. She earns an average of UGX 600,000 per week and saves up to UGX 400,000 after expenses. The income goes toward her tuition, food, and other personal needs.
Uganda’s informal sector accounts for the majority of employment in the country, as reported by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
However, women in the sector face additional barriers such as limited access to credit, safety concerns, gender-based discrimination, and cultural resistance.
The boda boda industry is one of the most visible areas of gender exclusion. Out of the more than 150,000 boda boda riders estimated to operate in the Kampala metropolitan area, only a small fraction are women.
Vivian Navisere, Programme Manager at Women Rising for Africa, an organisation that trains and supports women riders in Kampala. Photo by George Mukisa.
“There is still a strong stereotype about what women can and cannot do in Uganda,” said Vivian Navisere, Programme Manager at Women Rising for Africa, an organisation that trains and supports women riders in Kampala.
“Even after training more than 100 women, we still see resistance from customers and boda stages. People say women are too weak or can’t ride safely. But in reality, women are often more cautious and law-abiding on the road.”
Women Rising for Africa provides skills training in motorcycle maintenance, defensive riding, financial literacy, self-defence, and first aid.
They also connect women to safe ride-hailing platforms and help them access micro-loans to acquire bikes. Vivian believes that women do not lack potential but rather lack access to resources and support systems that enable them to enter and succeed in the informal workforce.
“We’ve seen so many women thrive when given the tools and confidence to work,” she said. “The sector has space for them, but it will require structural and social change.”
Mary’s day begins at 5:30 a.m. She rides during the early rush hour and arrives on campus for lectures by 8:00 a.m. In the afternoon, she returns to the road to work. She does deliveries for restaurants, picks up passengers, and often works until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. The long hours can be exhausting, and the nature of the work is unpredictable.
“Some days, I wait for hours without a customer. Other times, I ride the whole day but earn very little. Additionally, I have to deal with harassment and the fear of being targeted simply because I’m a woman in this field,” she stated.
One of her most frightening experiences occurred when men attempted to tamper with her bike’s ignition while it was parked near a stage. She suspects they wanted to steal it or send her a threatening message. She reported the incident, but no action was taken. Since then, she has avoided working near certain stages, opting instead for safer, more receptive neighborhoods.
Despite these risks, she has earned the respect of some of her peers. In the areas where she works regularly, customers now seek her out for her reliability and professionalism. She also receives support from some of her university classmates who admire her determination.
“Some of my friends now want to learn how to ride. They see that I can earn money, attend lectures, and remain focused on my goals,” Mary said.
Her long-term aspiration is to graduate and start a business, potentially in logistics or delivery services. For now, she views boda boda riding as a stepping stone towards economic independence and self-reliance.
According to a 2023 Labour Market Transition Survey by UBOS, youth unemployment remains a significant challenge in Uganda, with a rate of 13.3 percent, and is even higher among women. The informal sector serves as an entry point for many young people but is characterized by limited legal protections, no health insurance, and unstable income. For women, this often entails additional unpaid domestic work and exposure to gender-based violence.
Experts argue that if structured better, the informal sector could become an engine for inclusive growth. Interventions such as subsidized credit, skills development, legal recognition for informal workers, and targeted support for women could expand opportunities and reduce gender gaps.
“The conversation needs to move beyond survival,” said Vivian. “Informal work should be recognized, supported, and protected. Women like Mary are not only earning a livelihood; they are challenging outdated systems and expectations.”
For Mary, the journey continues. She plans to keep riding until she finishes university. Each ride she completes is a reminder of how far she has come and what lies ahead.
“If a woman has a dream, she should start. Even if it’s difficult, even if people discourage her, she should begin. That’s how things change,” she said.
Mary’s experience reflects a broader truth about Uganda’s workforce. While the informal sector has its challenges, it is also filled with resilience, especially among women who enter it with little more than determination and necessity.
The challenge moving forward is whether Uganda’s institutions and society at large will acknowledge this contribution and create an environment where women can work safely, earn fairly, and participate equally.
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