City housemaids ride wave of change
Nikhil Deshmukh
PUNE: Santoshi Anil Jagtap uses a moped to drop and pick up her children to and from school. She also rides her moped to work daily. This is nothing unusual in a city full of two-wheelers. What makes her different from the army of daily commuters in the city is the fact that Santoshi works as a maid-servant. Unlike other women in her profession who take a bus or walk to work, she prefers to use a moped.
Coming from a very conservative and poor background, where women are usually relegated to the backstage, Santoshi’s is a story of breaking social stereotypes. "Buying a moped was not something mind-boggling for me or my family," she reveals. "It came out of need. When the people in one of the houses where I worked decided to shift to another city, they wanted to sell their moped. I decided to purchase it."
Santoshi’s husband and the other families for which she was working supported her. Today, she is managing her time well and earning around Rs 3,000 per month.
"I took one month’s advance salary from my employers to purchase the vehicle for Rs 5,000. Now I can spare enough time for my family," she said.
February 04, 2008, Times of India |
