One success sparks another

Ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8) female technicians of BHEL’s integrated power plant equipment manufacture facility in Kailasapuram share their experiences of working in a traditionally male-dominated job sector

March 06, 2015 05:31 pm | Updated 05:33 pm IST - TIRUCHI:

BREAKING INTO MALE BASITION: Women employees upto the challenge.

BREAKING INTO MALE BASITION: Women employees upto the challenge.

M. Girija has been setting off sparks - as one of the nation’s top three welders preparing for the finals of the World Skills Competition to be held at Sao Paulo, Brazil in August. The artisan is among 545 women who work in technical and administrative capacities at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Tiruchi.

“I come from a family of welders,” says the 21-year-old. “My uncle has also won prizes for his welding skills, and I always wanted to be like him.”

Young women like Girija, have taken to working in heavy industries like the BHEL’s 3000-acre integrated power plant equipment manufacture facility in Kailasapuram, armed with secondary school graduation and certificate courses from the Indian Technical Institute (ITI).

“Normally girls prefer to study information technology or electronics at the degree level. These days, welding instead of tailoring has become a career option,” says A. Santhakumari, Senior Deputy General Manager, Welding Research Institute (WRI) allied to the BHEL. She is the winner of the 2014 Best Woman Employee award in the executive category instituted by SCOPE, a forum for women working in the public sector. Girija was placed second in the non-executive category.

The changing gender equation is a clear sign that “in no way are women behind” in this job sector, asserts R. Nagalakshmi, Manager, WRI, and herself a winner of the best woman employee award in 2013, and the first doctorate-holder of the institute. “Some even feel that women welders are often better than men, because basically their patience and adherence to the norms improves the quality of welding.”

‘Women are special’

On the shop floor of Building 50, a team of eight women, aged between 25-30 years, is working on welding tubular panels that will ultimately form the walls of a boiler. “There’s not much of a difference between male and female workers, except that their stamina flags a little in the afternoon,” says V. Devarajan, Deputy General Manager, Tubular Production. Women are in fact better at understanding instructions and carrying out technical tasks to specification, he says. Cranes and contract workers are available to assist them in heavy lifting jobs.

“Here everything is a collective decision and artisans like welders would be doing repetitive work, but the material is of many varieties, and the workers have to keep these specifications in mind,” he says.

Though their output is slightly lower than their male colleagues, the skill levels of the women welders are quite impressive. “We have trained Radha, who joined us as fitter, in machine welding. She’s the first woman to get the Indian Boiler Regulation (IBR) certificate,” says Devarajan.

“Our women workers are special to us, not just because of their job skills, but also their effect on the workplace atmosphere - they make the men more careful and socially attentive,” says Devarajan.

But unlike men, women cannot be employed continuously, he adds, because marriage and family responsibilities often slow down their career growth.

Finding the balance

Priyadarshini joined BHEL in 2005, and is the oldest employee service-wise, in a group of around 30 women we meet at Building 6. “When I started out, I was the only woman in the building,” she recalls. “Everything used to be new, and there was a hesitation at first, to ask male colleagues for assistance. After some time, as more women joined after a year or two, things became more comfortable.”

BHEL follows an equal pay policy, with technicians being able to earn up to Rs.30,000. The option of overtime is usually left unused by women workers. Female employees are eligible for 6 months maternity leave, which can be availed of before or after the child is born. While it is customary to assign lighter jobs to pregnant women, it is not uncommon to find them working until their full term. “I finished my full shift and then went for my delivery the same night,” smiles Shakuntala Devi.

Most of the assembled women agree that a home support network is essential for them to complete their 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. daily shift. “Most of us also have aged parents or in-laws at home, who help out with childcare. Our shift is designed so that we are at home by the time the children return from school,” she adds.

Those whose lives are buttressed by the presence of older family members and helpers are often able to find their work-home balance easily, says WRI’s Santhakumari. “My husband is a doctor. When I reach home, he’ll leave for work. When I’m out for work, he’s at home. Our children have learned to accommodate our schedules; we didn’t have a problem because our in-laws were there to support us. Those in nuclear families may find it problematic to manage the schedules, especially if they are in different jobs,” she says.

Feeling valued

All the women, quite a few of who are first-time technicians in their families, have been selected through an all-India recruitment drive, which draws around a lakh applications per day.

Though they are engaged in what is perceived to be a male bastion of employment, the women technicians of BHEL reiterate that their jobs have made them feel valued.

“Many girls in my village want to become welders after seeing my success,” says Girija, who is from Karaicakkam village in Ariyalur district. “You need to love your job to make an impact,” she says, adding that she has been undergoing 10-hour training sessions at WRI to prepare for the upcoming World Skills Competition finals.

Janaki, who has been with BHEL since 2008, has been placed first in an international quality competition. The machinist/artisan says her job has helped her widen her horizons. She is now studying engineering by correspondence from Calcutta University. “We are very proud to have a chance to work on par with men. It has helped us realise how strong we can be,” she says.

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