The name ‘Jyoti’ translates to light, and for the residents of Dhamangaon in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district, it is a name that lives up to its meaning. For the past four years, Jyoti has served as a female line woman in the State Electricity Department, earning the affectionate title of her village’s very own “wirewoman”.

Whenever the power cuts out, the villagers know exactly who to call. While her sight scaling electric poles once drew amazed stares from locals, it has now become a reassuring, everyday sight.
 

BBC quotes Jyoti as saying, “If the power goes off, they call me. We don’t really have fixed working hours – it is a 24-hour job, effectively. If a call comes in, I have to go, even if it is the middle of the night.”

Equipped with safety boots and heavy-duty gloves, she expertly scales utility poles and handles high-voltage transformers and intricate wiring with utmost seriousness. Stationed right in her home village, she hops on her motorbike the moment a trouble call arrives, carrying the responsibility of servicing her own community with profound pride.

“When people's power issues are resolved, it gives me immense satisfaction,” she says.

Beyond keeping the local grid running, Jyoti is actively dismantling age-old gender stereotypes. Her journey stands as a living testament that women can safely and effectively excel in any technical field.

“People used to believe that this was strictly a man's job,” Jyoti reflects. “But any woman can do this work. As long as you follow safety protocols, women can take on any job.”

She fondly recalls the moment she found her name on the final selection list for the electricity department.

“The joy I felt when I received this uniform was beyond words. The villagers were so thrilled they distributed five or six kilograms of sweets to celebrate!”