Some women have always managed to break the barriers and be on par with men in sectors that have been traditionally reserved for men. These women overcome numerous obstacles and challenges as part of their journey and have turned into role models for many others.
Here are some pioneers who broke the gender barrier in their respective field in the Indian society.
Prem Mathur
Today, there are a lot of women pilots all around the globe, however, this wasn’t the case back in the 21st century when the world was still not ready for women pilots. Even still, India got their first women pilot, Prem Mathur, not long after their independence. Captain Prem Mathur was India’s first woman to be a commercial pilot for Deccan Airways and fly in the Indian skies after obtaining her commercial pilot’s license. She won the national air race in 1949 and carved her name in the Indian history books.
Sindhutai Sapkal
Sindhutai Sapkal, born on 14th November 1948, in the Pimpri village, fought for the rehabilitation of eighty-four villages. She devoted her life for the orphans and as a result was called ‘Mai’, which means mother by many. During her time, she nurtured over 1,500 orphan children and was honoured with more than 700 awards for her work. Sindhutai purchased land and made a home for the orphaned children with the award money received.
Justice Fatima Beevi
The first female supreme court judge, Justice M. Fatima Beevi, started her career in the lower judiciary in Kerala and later was promoted to the post of Chief Judicial Magistrate. Her hard-work and dedication paid off as she became a permanent judge of the high court and was later appointed to the supreme court as a judge after just 5 years, where she retired on 29th April 1992.
Lt. Punita Arora
Lt. Punita Arora became the first woman to be appointed in the second highest rank, Lieutenant General, of the Indian armed forces. Her dedication and love for the country saw her being the first admiral of the Indian navy. Since joining the armed forces medical college in Pune, she has been awarded with 15 medals in her 36 years of service in the Indian armed forces.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
The chairman and managing director of Biocon Limited, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the first Indian businesswoman to reach a networth of 1 billion dollars. She completed her studies at Ballat College of Advanced Education in Australia, studying malting and brewing. Kiran was the only woman who was enrolled in the course and faced great challenges starting her venture. However, she refused to give up even though facing such difficult times and is currently one of the most successful entrepreneurs present in the country.
Apart from the above, there are so many women who have faced and overcome these obstacles to establish their name in the Indian society. Financial institutions have further played a major role in the lives of these women by providing them with the capital to follow their dreams and passions.
Image source: Wikipedia