Teaching refugee women to drive goes farther than their destination

By SHARON JOHNSON
Associated Press

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (AP) — A greater Atlanta program called Women Behind the Wheel offers 14 hours of free drivers’ education to mostly refugee and immigrant women. Many of the women who enroll come from countries that discourage women from driving or working outside their home. However, the women and their families learn how access to their own transportation can help them build a future in the U.S. Women Behind the Wheel is unique to Georgia, but similar programs exist across the country. So far, there have been 230 graduates of the Atlanta-area program, including a few men. The driving program typically has a three-to-four-month waitlist because of the demand.