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Kathmandu Tuesday August 14, 2001 Shrawan 30, 2058.
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Great example
Hats off to Sumitra Dangal for taking to the
wheels of a trolley bus and becoming an inspiration to millions of women who dream of
economic independence. It is rare for women to venture into a calling widely perceived as
a male domain. It is even rarer for educated women to choose one which is yet to acquire
social recognition. But from three wheelers to four wheelers, Dangal has come some way in
her saga of courage, determination, perseverance and self-reliance. A first year masters
degree student, Dangal started driving a tempo five years ago after trying her luck with
the police force. So what if she could not make it there? Craving for something with
challenge, the twenty-eight year old began driving her Safa tempo with a loan from
Rashtriya Banijya Bank. Motivated too by a sense of charity, Sumitra offered free driving
classes to underprivileged women. Now, she is all set to take on a trolley bus. We wish
her all the best.
No physical work is degrading in itself. It
is professional ethics and humanitarian values that count. But in our society, manual
workers such as drivers, waiters and porters do not command respect and privilege. If the
workers happen to be female, discrimination and derision become visible. Many women are
unskilled, and have little opportunity for advancement. They sweat and toil over household
chores or in the fields, but their contribution to the Gross Domestic Product is grossly
undervalued. Despite seminars and conferences, this conceptual lapse is yet to be
rectified. Pay disparity is another bitter reality when women do find employment outside
the home or off the farm. Despite the existence of trade unions affiliated to various
political parties, thousands of female workers remain unable to organize and their voices
go largely unheard. Minimum wage rules for men and women are long overdue. Addressing this
issue properly would be a major achievement for labour rights and women’s rights.
With underemployment near universal, our economy is
staggering under the burden of idle hands and idle minds. While schools and colleges keep
churning out a steady stream of so-called educated youths, the fragile economy is simply
unable to absorb them. As a result, poverty remains intractable and spawns all kinds of
social ills. In a desperate struggle for survival, thousands of youths land up in foreign
countries to earn what they can by doing whatever odd job they find. The plight of the
educated unemployed is no better. Their academic certificates don’t guarantee them
any job at home or abroad. Which leaves them with only one option: manual work. Repulsive
though this may sound to some educated folks, it may gradually become the norm given the
sheer desperation for gainful employment. Whether it is white collar or blue collar, what
is important is respect for the dignity of labour matched by professionalism in whatever
work one does. This may even bring better pay and better status. Sumitra Dangal’s
story is an example for the educated unemployed to roll up their sleeves and take up new
avenues of employment, instead of indulging in frustration and self-pity. And with more
socio-economically independent women like her around, women’s empowerment will also
come closer to reality.
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