Seven women, in grey working coats worn over their sarees, moving among others during lunch time in the big hall of the ashram have drawn the attention of many. “Who are they, those smiling women? They seem to be very much at home here.” Ashram people ask each other. Western residents seem to have known them already. They say, “They are the first batch of women plumbers, trained in the University.”

Amrita University has a course in which artisans are taught trades such as plumbing through computer technology. These women have successfully completed three month training, and are now apprentices. The buildings under construction and repairs in the old flats here provide ample training opportunities.

The seven women in the age group of 31 to 49 years, all from nearby Karunagapally area, members of AmritaSREE group (Amrita, Self Reliance Education and Employment) chose to undergo this novel training; like in all AmritaSREE trainings, they would also be provided with job opportunities.

All of them have gone to school till 8th std, some went to college but failed to get a degree. All are married, with children; some of their children have completed graduation. One of them, Usha, has a grandchild too.

On the International Women’s day I went to meet them at their working places.

One of them said she is now enthusiastic to learn moped riding; she could come for work in 20 minutes instead of changing 3 buses in one and half hours. This confidence came to her because she was now ‘computer literate’.

Another observed how, thanks to gadgets like grinders and washing machines, women don’t have any hard work to do at homes. Now she feels proud her hand is not delicate like before, but strong and rough. She showed me her palm. “However, plumbing is not very ‘hard manual’ labour,“ she quickly added. “Transporting material and chipping are tough. It is hard to chip cement; that is like chipping stone. Rest is all OK.”

Sometimes when there is no elevator, carrying porcelain sinks up to top floors etc would make it hard, especially in hot summer; but that’s not a big thing, another explained.

“There have been men plumbers on the site before. How do you see yourself in relation to them?” I asked.
One of them said, “We know more things than we need to for a job, since we learnt it systematically.”
Another said, “Sometimes they are wonderstruck when they hear us referring to things by their names and by specifications…!”

No job is menial. Amma trains Her children to have the readiness to do any work, starting from toilet cleaning. Now with computerised training Amma has made plumbing a highly dignified profession.
I remember that Amma was very happy when they came to Her with their certificates. She exclaimed “Here is My army of women plumbers!”
– Sandhya