By taking on unconventional careers in India's aviation sector, these three ladies have been lauded for breaking through the proverbial glass ceiling, but for them personally, the achievement reflected a simple ambition – to fulfil their parents’ dreams, escape poverty and make good on their urge to pursue a challenging career.
Not Rocket Science: Tripura’s First Female Air Traffic Controller
Meet, Bipasha Hrangkwal. In 2017, she became the first female Air Traffic Controller (ATC) from Tripura, a northeastern Indian state which is not as developed as the country's major municipalities.
When asked how she feels about stepping into this male-dominated sector, Bipasha told Sputnik, “it’s not rocket science, but a profession not much sought-after by women.”
Bipasha took this unbeaten path in order to fulfil her father’s dream; she refused to acquiesce to any gender barriers to this role, and urged more women to pursue this career.
Discussing the job, which is commonly thought of as a back-office position, the 27-year-old said, “I ask only one question to passengers who get down from planes - Do you think planes just take off? People believe the pilot is the only controller and don’t realise the role of an ATC.”
Bipasha, the junior executive ATC, manages air traffic at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, which serves Agartala, the capital city of Tripura.
Describing the only challenge of her job, she said, "We face tough situation such as guiding the aircraft in bad weather. The tension makes me break into a sweat. Gender does not matter at that moment.”
Finally, Bipasha explained what female empowerment means to her: “Women should at least have the freedom to explore every career possibility, later it’s on them whether to choose it or not.”
First Female Fire Fighter in Aviation
Taniya Sanyal has undertaken every possible test of physical strength to be where she is today – the first female firefighter to be appointed by the Airport Authority of India last year. Until 2018, it was a male-only domain. However, Taniya says being the first female firefighter and trainer is not a big deal for her.
"I think it’s high time for people to stop categorising job profiles in terms of gender. I train men and women in firefighting as a teacher, not as a woman," she said.
The 27-year-old junior assistant in fire services was born and brought up in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), in the state of West Bengal near India's border with Bangladesh. She said the job was initially a challenge.
“The training period was a challenge for me as I was the only lady. All my colleagues and trainers were men, but later I eased into it.”
She now trains 100 students, mostly men; she says it gives her pleasure is to see students pass with flying colours.
For Taniya, worrying about what other people think about her capability as a woman is not among her concerns. “I just try to be good at my job," she says.
A Fight against Poverty to Fly High
As a young girl, 24-year-old Rinki Prasad would run out of her house every time she heard an aircraft pass by, wondering how it flies. Her brother, the only wage-earner in her family, distributed newspapers for a living. Rinki would cut out pictures of aircraft whenever they appeared in the newspaper.
Born and brought up in the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh state, Rinki’s poverty-stricken family, which struggled to make ends meet, refused to support her “expensive dream” to become an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME), until a village official sponsored her education.
After completing her AME course, she's now an aircraft maintenance trainee at Indira Gandhi National Aviation Academy (IGRUA) in Amethi in Uttar Prdesh and is set to take the test this year to obtain an AME license.
“Poverty does not define me, my aspiration does. If one has the determination to achieve something, it can be done,” Rinki told Sputnik.
Sowing Dreams in India's Interior
Rinki’s inspiring story was first brought to light by the Women in Aviation India chapter, an international non-governmental organisation that works to create awareness, encourage women to actively take up careers in aviation in India - the world's fastest growing aviation market.
“There’s more to aviation than becoming a pilot or air hostess and we want to familiarise girls and their parents in the rural heartland of the country with this emerging sector,” said Noopur Chablani, Secretary, Women in Aviation India (WAI).
WAI has been to 30 cities and spoken to more than 30,000 girls, spreading awareness about such opportunities. “The objective is to ignite a spark in women to take up career in aviation,” Chablani said.
According to the latest report by IATA, India is the fastest growing domestic air travel market in the world. A report to parliament published by India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, indicated that the number of domestic air travellers increased 18.6 percent in 2018 year-on-year.
From 117 million in 2017, the number of domestic air travellers increased to 139 million in 2018, giving rise to more job opportunities in the sector.
Similarly, the International Society of Women Airline Pilots lauded India as the country with the highest share of female pilots, at 13 percent in 2018, leaving behind developed countries such as the United States (4.4%).