Bashing patriarchy: Women shine in male-dominated fields

On Women’s Day today, Jalandhar Tribune brings you the stories of women from the city who have either made a mark by storming male bastions or have done exemplary social works for society. Going by the theme of the year for the day ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, Tribune reporters Deepkamal Kaur and Avneet Kaur profile three such women of substance from the city

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Having retired from HMV College as a professor of philosophy nearly nine years ago, Kavita Vij (69) has been on a mission to uplift downtrodden society and help raise the standard of government schools in the city.

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She started with the setting up of a roadside evening school for slum children in the Basti Mithu area. “I used to visit jhuggis and tell dwellers to send their children to me every evening. I used to take their classes in the open daily. Since weather on certain days did not allow me to take classes in the open, I would sometimes even take classes in their dwellings.

“The number of students coming to me started increasing and I had to even hire some additional teachers and arrange auto-rickshaws for students coming from nearby localities. We eventually made the set-up in the gurdwara of the locality. I ran the school for more than seven years and as the strength kept on increasing, I got them all enrolled in Government School at Mithu Basti in 2019,” she recalled.

Once she enrolled them all in the school, she even started an adult education centre. “The area had several bhands and marasis all of whom started coming to me to get the basic education for some years,” she said.

Kavita’s mission to bring about a change in society kept on evolving. “When my students were enrolled in the government school at Mithu Basti, I set out on a mission to improve the condition of the school. I got all the classrooms and kitchen renovated with fresh plaster, tile work and paint. I got new fans installed. A submersible pump was also installed to resolve the issue of drinking water. Eight LEDs were set up in various classrooms. The school set-up changed a lot ever since I adopted it,” she shared.

Once this school got the required set-up, she moved to adopt other nearby government schools. “For the Basti Bawa Khel government school, I got 10 computer tables. For the government school at Basti Sheikh, I sourced funds to install a water cooler. In the government school at Lohara, I got arranged printers that they needed with computers. The Basti Gujan school needed some chairs, which I managed. The requirement of installation of LEDs also came from a school at Khusropur,” she said, adding that she had got spent nearly Rs 50 lakh to meet all such requirements.

“Initially, I donated some money. Then everyone in my contact, including my two daughters (one is a judicial officer and the other engineer in Canada), my friends, their children, my old students and various donors kept on coming for the cause. By God’s grace, I have never faced any shortage of funds for any requirement. Recently, a private school for special children in Urban Estate was in need of financial support. I arranged a Mahindra van for commuting of their students, besides getting their rooms renovated.

“In between, many philanthropists keep on coming to help the government schools by providing dietary items like milk, curd, kheer, etc or even paying for the students’ uniforms,” she discussed various projects coming to her.

About the role of her husband, she said, “A retired banker, he has not got himself involved in any of my works. He, however, has never dissuaded me from carrying it on or expanding further.”

Meet Ganga, the lone woman among 20 male mechanics

THE car on the hoist at Raga Motors needs to be repaired. Ganga, a 27-year-old (woman) mechanic, wastes little time in getting spanners and wrenches in her hands. Then she quickly opens the bonnet and starts checking irregularities. In minutes, the fault is detected.

“I always wanted to do something different,” she said, adding that she likes working under the chassis of a car or in front of the bonnet with her shirt full of grease stains.

A native of Himachal, she has been working here as a mechanic for the last three and a half years. She says she got into this field because she never heard anyone at her school, college or in her family talk about women repairing cars or changing wheels. Besides, every time one goes to the garage, only men could be seen working there, she said. “Women were visible at the billing counter, reception or on calling, so I had this feeling like why women are not taking up this field or it is just meant to be men’s job,” she added.

“I don’t understand who categorises men’s and women’s jobs. We are living in the 21st century, but I am the lone woman among 20 mechanics at the workshop. We say things have changed, but a lot is yet to be achieved,” she said, adding that she took up vehicle repairs as a profession because she wanted to change the common stereotypes of what a mechanic looks like.

“I always questioned my parents as to why trades professions like mechanics, welders, carpenters, etc, are not for women, but my father always told me there’s nothing a woman can’t do,” said Ganga.

She further said most of the parents tell their kids to do what they wish to when they grow up, but when the time comes, their first choice is doctors, engineers, fashion designers and among other reputed professions. “I feel blessed because my father stood true to his words and the decision of what I want to be was in my hands and here I am a mechanic,” she proudly said.

She said she had always been a fan of the saying — be the change you wish to see in the world. “I always wanted women to take up a career path that is male-dominated, not because I wanted to prove women are better or anything else, but to pave the way to equality”, she added.

Asked about the problems she faced when she first entered this profession, Ganga replied, “It’s been five years since I started working as a mechanic. There were issues at the start as my fellow workers didn’t take me seriously. Whenever I used to take the keys of the car from the owner, he/she used to confirm if I could actually repair it. Some people also made fun and gave suggestions that I should run a beauty parlour or open a boutique, but I seriously never paid heed to their advice because I was clear in my head of what I am doing,” she said.

She said to attract more lucrative offers in the field, she has now started learning electrical repairs and maintenance. “I wish to rise in this profession and I’ll do everything to make it happen,” she said.

Pooja Rani stands out from the crowd

Breaking into the male bastion, 34-year-old Pooja Rani stands out from the crowd as she drives her e-rickshaw zipping through the city lanes and negotiating various turns in the congested parts of the city.

She can be spotted standing outside the Jalandhar bus stand or Jyoti Chowk area from where she gets a good number of passengers. She steps out of her house daily at 11.30 am after completing her household chores and returns home daily around 6.30 pm.

Rani, who is divorced from her husband and resides at Tower Enclave here with her eight-year-old son, says that she had taken up various jobs for livelihood. “But this one suits me more as I can choose my own time as per my convenience. I had learnt about a scheme of Rotary Club six months back. They helped in purchasing my own e-rickshaw by way of easy instalments.”

She says: “I chose to go for it knowing it well that these kinds of jobs are largely taken by men. I was not worried what people would say or whether they would trust me with my driving. I knew how to drive a scooter. With little practice, I could learn to drive the e-rickshaw too. It becomes tiring at times but I have certainly improved my stamina.”

Asked if she still faced challenges, “Yes, they are definitely there. No matter, it is a cold weather or it is raining, I have to go on. Even Covid times make things a little difficult as schools and colleges get closed and the number of passengers we get thins out. But there are problems in all jobs and one has to face them all upfront”.

On whether, she was able to meet her financial requirements, she said: “The ups and downs are a part of my life. The needs keep on increasing but the means do not expand to the same extent. My biggest concern always is to ensure the best of facilities for my son, who has just completed Class II from a private school. He, too, has been bearing with all my problems. He has learnt to stay independently at home without me for so long.”