Women:Breaking the barriers

As the entire country fights corruption and terrorism these days, the efforts of many dedicated female police officers have come to light. Known as the Iron Lady of Assam, Sanjukta Parashar is one such IPS officer who is making headlines for her commendable work and bravery. Sanjukta, who is the first woman to be have been appointed as an IPS officer in Assam, has arrested over 64 militants in the last 15 months and set an example for others. Sanjukta completed her early education in Assam and went to Indraprastha University for a graduation degree in Political Science. She later did her PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Sanjukta has keen interest in sports since she was a child and has won many awards.Even while she was in school, Sanjukta was extremely worried about the increasing corruption and terror in Assam; hence, she decided to stay back in her state and work towards these issues despite getting a good rank. She was first sent to Makum, Assam, in 2008, as an Assistant

Rajani was only 25 when she started her agency named Rajani Pandit Detective Services, in 1991. Today, she has a team of about 20 people and together they have solved over 75,000 cases. Being a woman in a field dominated by men was not easy. Rajani had to face several challenges for even the most basic things like getting ad space in a newspaper. Born and brought up in a middle class family in Thane, Rajani studied Marathi literature at Ruparel College. After that she took a temporary job and worked there for three months before setting up her agency. For Rajani, one of the most memorable cases she solved is the one in which she had to live in a stranger’s house as a servant for six months; at the end of this period, a murderer was arrested.

Krishnan was born in Bangalore, about 570km from her current Hyderabad office. Her parents, who belong to the southern state of Kerala, supported her in her decision to pursue social studies and support social causes even as a student. Little did they know that an incident as grave as a rape would change her life forever. Walking down the lane of the college that nurtured Krishnan, one is tempted to know if the young today recognise her. Gang-raped by eight men when she was 15, Krishnan has had to deal with all that and more. Though violated, she refused to be broken and she gave birth to an instituion that assists trafficked women and girls in finding shelter. Measuring no more than four feet and six inches (140cm), Krishnan today is perhaps one of the tallest figures of hope in contemporary India. She co-founded Prajwala (eternal flame) in 1996 with Brother Jose Vetticatil, a Catholic missionary who died in 2005. The journey began by converting a brothel in India’s

With the new wave of feminism in India and breaking stereotypes, The Indian Army is finally fulfilling its due. In a society like India, it is not easy for a woman to break the barrier and set an example but some did, and we live in awe of them. Shanti Tigga is one of those women. When a widowed 35 years old mother of two outperformed all the male candidates of her group and made it to the first woman jawan in Indian Army, many still could not believe it. Although she does not have a happy ending, her story is something that will inspire thousands of rural women in India.  The Journey of Being the First Woman Jawan in Indian Army While she was doing the job with the Railway, she came to know about Territorial Army of Railways. And after giving it a thought, she volunteered to join the TA of Railways. She was inspired by some of her family members who were already a part of the armed forces. She worked hard on her physical abilities and passed the tests of being a Jawan. In