Hartek Group felicitates women achievers who fought all odds to break gender stereotypes
As a run-up to International Women’s Day (March 8), Chandigarh-based Hartek Group, one of India’s fastest growing concerns in the power sector, honoured women achievers from the region who have stood against the tide, broken male bastions and never looked back.
At a special ‘Celebrating Womanhood’ felicitation ceremony organised by women employees of Hartek Group, Chandigarh’s Mayor Asha Kumari Jaswal honoured the achievers with mementos, commendation certificates and cash awards.
Photo By: Life in Chandigarh
Appreciating the initiative taken by the Hartek Group, the Mayor said, “Such women are the pride of our society. We should draw attention to their inspiring success stories at every given opportunity so that they act as role models for other women.”
The awardees included Manjit Kaur, an ambulance driver in Jalandhar who forayed into male bastion by taking up this job nine years ago to support her family after her husband suffered a paralytic attack. Mandeep Kaur, who broke yet another male bastion by becoming a Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) bus conductor two years ago but not before facing stiff resistance from her family members, was also felicitated.
Dolly, who works as a security guard at a city hotel where she also does night shifts to support her family of five and Radha Devi, the sole breadwinner of her family who has been running a tea stall in Sector 34, Chandigarh for the past 10 years to repay her family’s loan and support her seven siblings were also awarded.
Congratulating women employees of the Hartek Group who were the spirit behind the event, Keerti Singh, Director, Human Resources, Hartek Group, said, “We are proud of you for taking the initiative to observe Women’s Day in such a wonderful way. Women are equal partners in India’s growth story, and we need to empower them to empower the New India.”
Narrating how adversity brought out the real fighter in her, Manjit Kaur said, “Nine years ago my husband suffered a paralytic attack. But I stood as a rock to take on the challenges life brought my way. I worked as a maid in houses till I had enough money to buy an ambulance of my own.”
But as Manjit soon realised, working as an ambulance driver is not easy if you are a woman, especially at night. “I have been attacked a number of times while on night duty, but my fighting spirit has kept me going. I also faced a lot of opposition from my brothers who were dead against this job,” said Manjit.
