Our Women Our (S)heroes

What's common between computer compilers, caller ID, windscreen wipers, space station batteries, dishwashers, disposable diapers, home security systems, solar-heated homes, foot pedal dustbins, bulletproof vests and invisible glass? The answer is-They were all invented by women!

- Mona Bharadwaj

The field of technology was male-dominated for a long time. In India, the barrier breakers were A Lalitha, PK Thressia and Leelamma George from The College of Engineering, Guindy, the oldest technology institute in India.

A Lalitha was our first woman electrical engineer and her life's journey is very inspiring. She got married when she was just 15, had a baby at the age of 18 and her husband passed away when the baby was just 4 months of age. She had to, as a single mother, stand on her own feet and she enrolled herself at The College of Engineering, where her father was working as professor. Such was the male dominance that Latha was the only girl in the institute and her father had to place an ad in the newspapers to get more women into engineering. Thressia and Leelamma joined the college the same year, and they graduated with Civil Engineering degrees in 1943.

Though Lalitha went on to research electrical devices and work at different companies, she could not reach her full potential at work due to gender-based discrimination. She was however a fighter, and emerged a true winner. She went on to work on the electrical generators project of the Bhakra Nangal Dam and also became a member of Women's Engineering Society of London and the Institution of Electrical Engineers and Society of Women engineers in the US where she represented Indian women. What I personally learnt from the inspiring story of A Lalitha was 'Never ever give up, no matter what'.

Today, women have evolved from trying to become engineers, to choosing different career paths such as stand-up comedy, content creation and jobs in many creative fields. While women have come a long way, it is true that today's woman continues to face challenges given that she has to excel on all fronts. The question now is, what would she need to do, to be able to learn, grow and ace at different stages of her journey?