Women’s Equality Day: 7 Indian Women Who Took Up Unconventional Jobs And Proved Women Can Do Any Job A Man Can

As the world grows closer and closer to gaining equality between men and women, we must take time out to commend women for the countless roles they undertake. As we see more and more women taking on multiple job roles and gaining higher ground in the corporate world, we often forget that there was a time women were not even allowed to vote. On the 26th of August in 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed in the United States. This allowed women to finally get a say in the political decisions of the country. In 1973, people first started celebrating the occasion and marked it as an important milestone in women’s rights.

The day was then marked as Women’s Equality Day and celebrated on the 26th of August each year. This year, on the 100th anniversary of the day women in the US, were finally allowed to vote, let’s take a look at some inspirational women in our own waters. Here’s a list of seven Indian women who prove that women can do anything men can:

1. Mehvish Mushtaq: App Developer

Source: The Hindu

Mehvish Mushtaq is a 23-year-old engineer who works as an app developer. She is the first known female app developer native to Kashmir and designed a one source app for important information in and around Kashmir (like virtual yellow pages). The talented young woman’s primary goal is to create more job and academic opportunities for the youth back in her hometown of Srinagar. When asked if she would ever choose to leave Kashmir to study abroad, she would prefer to stay here and promote Kashmiri culture. She plans on developing a Kashmiri dictionary app next.

2. Mayanti Langer: Sports Journalist

While journalism isn’t a male-dominated field any longer per se, sports journalism is a different story. Most sports presenters are predominantly males because it was always assumed that more men were into sports than women. Mayanti Langer, however, proved otherwise. She is a sports journalist for Star Sports and has a keen interest in football. In 2010, she hosted the FIFA World Cup on ESPN, and her career as a sports journalist has been rock solid ever since.

3. Ishita Malaviya: Surfer

Ishita Malaviya is India’s first female surfer and got her start in surfing while she was studying in Manipal. Along with the help of her boyfriend, Tushar and a few others, she opened a surf club at Kodi Bengre beach in coastal Karnataka and named it Shaka Surf Club. The laid back surfer has starred in numerous advertising campaigns for brands like Nike and is a GoPro ambassador. When she’s not surfing, she spends her time caring for the many animals of all shapes and sizes that she and Tushar have adopted.

4. Shatbhi Basu: Bartender

When one thinks of a stereotypical bartender, we often picture grumpy old Moe from The Simpsons or our neighborhood shady bar owner. However, the reality of the situation is that this once predominantly male-dominated field is no longer going to be so. Shatbhi Basu, in this regard, is considered a bartending celebrity. One of the first female bartenders to make a name for herself, Shatbhi, has had an illustrious career in the field. After spending years as a mixologist and even making TV show appearances, she opened her own professional bartending academy called STIR (Mumbai).

5. Prema Ramappa Nadapatti: Bus Driver

When it comes to driving, you often hear the words, “women are bad drivers”. However, that is anything but the case. Although Prema’s journey towards being a bus driver involved the tragedy of losing her husband, she took on the role, knowing she had to provide for her children. She is currently the only female bus driver in the city of Bangalore and works for the BMTC. Known for her daring personality, she took up the role of being a bus driver because she wanted to do something different from the norm.

6. Rajni Pandit: Private Investigator

If Sherlock Holmes is the first person, you think of when one says the words, “private investigator,” don’t be alarmed. In a world where women are expected to be careful of venturing out after dark or unaccompanied, Rajni Pandit swoops in to ease people’s worries with her role. She became the first woman to take on the role of a private investigator in Maharashtra and solved her first case while she was still studying. After receiving familial support, Rajni pursued her career and eventually opened her own detective service, Rajni Pandit Detective Services, in 1991.

7. Sovna Puri: Sommelier

When it comes to tasting wine, the job has traditionally only been taken up by men. And considering that drinking is frowned upon when women indulge, a profession in alcohol would be even more shocking for our conservative Indian values. Sovna, however, has proven that appreciating wine is a job that not only requires years of training but also an incredible palate and good nose. Sovna trained in the art of Wine Appreciation And Tasting and gained a degree in the subject while abroad. Once she returned to India, she was quickly hired by one of India’s most famous wine companies, Sula. The young woman has tried some of the finest wines in the world and can surely teach us a thing or two about her trade.

While things are getting better as the years pass, we are miles away from achieving true equality for both men and women. As the lines between gender roles blur, we move towards a more progressive and accepting society, which we should all look forward to. Which of these stories were you most inspired by? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Niharika NayakBA (Media & Communication)

 

Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing video games, and hanging out with stray animals.

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