HYDERABAD: At a training ground in Hyderabad on Wednesday, two young women scripted history as they climbed to the top of an eight-meter pole to become Telangana’s first line women in power distribution companies. The position reserved for men, thus far. The duo could well be India’s first line women.
Though on paper, the job title reads ‘junior linemen’, the duo is certain of wearing their gender on their sleeve. “We worked hard to get here. We will ensure we are referred to as line women,” said 20-year-old Babburi Shirisha, elated at the achievement she shares with 32-year-old, V Bharathi, a mother of two. Both hold a certificate in industrial training (ITI) as electricians and are adept at fixing and maintaining electricity lines.
But it hasn’t been easy for women. It took them a year-long legal battle with power distribution companies who did not want women in the field job. First, they tried to block their written test results and later put brakes on their pole climbing exam – the two rounds an aspirant must clear to become a lineman. Their argument – women cannot climb poles.
It was only after the Telangana high court intervened that these two women, who had cleared the written test, were allowed to appear for round two. And on Wednesday, the aspirants cruised through it, by finishing the climb in just a minute.