AHMEDABAD (PTI): Draped in a veil, nameless behind the age old ‘Purdah, a legacy of their heritage, woman cart pullers in this commercial capital of Gujarat is doing a man’s job.
Unique to Ahmedabad, these women ferry stacks of goods from one man’s domain to another’s without a frown. For those who are new to the city, it comes as a cultural shock.
They would push a few quintals across the city many times a day to earn Rs 50 at the most. This is their struggle to be economically independent.
While people talk of feminism and women’s lib today, these battalions of women have for generations been pulling their loads roughshod over the roads, at times with their men folk too
taking a free ride.
Sometimes cart pulling a family affair with the husband and wife pulling the cart and the children enjoying a good free ride sitting atop the stacks of goods.
Roughly over 1,000 hand pulled carts are therein the city which are drawn by women double their number.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 5, 1993
