1st Woman Sahayak In Jaipur Breaks Stereotypes, Battling All Odds

The journey of the first woman sahayak in North-West railways and recipient of an award at the Rashtrapati Bhawan

Manju Devi, the first woman Sahayak in north-west railways

(Photo: ANI screengrab)

Video Editor: Vishal Kumar

Manju Devi has broken gender stereotypes and battled all odds, becoming the first woman ‘Sahayak’ in the north-west railways. This is the story of a woman who became the sole breadwinner of the family after the death of her husband 10 years ago.

Dressed in a red kurta and black salwar, she works in multiple shifts every day, to make ends meet for her family.

it wasn’t easy for her to overcome hurdles. But her mother Mohini encouraged her to take up not just her deceased husband Mahadev’s porter license no. 15 but also the demanding task of hauling luggage of passengers at the Jaipur Railway Station. Authorities initially warned her of the challenges of the job and how difficult it would be for her. It took her a while to get a grasp of the realities of her job that included designing her own uniform.

When I started off, I weighed only 30kgs and the luggage I was carrying also weighed 30 kgs. A passenger once asked me if it was a burden for me. I told them that it was nothing compared to the burden of feeding three children.

Manju Devi, Sahayak

Manju was among the 112 women who were felicitated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

There is no difference between women and men. Women can drive taxis, cars, buses, they can do everything. All women should strive to be equal in strength.  

Manju Devi, Sahayak

(With inputs from PTI)