Unpaid care and domestic work is highlighted by the United Nations as one of the many hindrances to women’s right and ability to access decent and productive work.  Did you know that in India, women spend up to 352 minutes per day on unpaid domestic work – 577% more than men who spend approximately 52 minutes.  This means that 3 out of every 4 Indian women are not working outside the home and many have aspirations to do so!

But 3 women are proving that women CAN become serious family breadwinners, if only we invest in them and restrain from saddling them from the burdens of domestic life!

1. Woman Welder Transforms Husband’s Business: FARANA SHEIKH (30) Chandrapur, Maharashtra

When Farana Sheikh’s husband’s fabrication business came to a halt due to a problem with alcohol, the 30-year-old decided to take matters into her own hands. She enrolled in the MMAWC (Welding) course at Ambuja Foundation’s Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institute, and promptly took over the business.

In just 4 months, Farana has turned things around – generating Rs. 30,000 per month in profit, and turning heads whenever she shows up to work for a job, ready to weld. Buoyed by the support of his wife, Farana’s husband Jabbi has cut back his drinking - taking orders for the business and coordinating raw materials. But it is Farana who is the key driver of the business – managing accounts, doing production and fostering good relations with clients along the way.

Of course, initially, clients had doubts when a young woman turned up on construction sites to do the work. But her professionalism, punctuality and quality work soon saw them change their minds, and word of mouth began to spread. Today Farana commands respect and is applauded by the community. 

It’s a far cry for Farana who previously set up and ran a Beauty Parlour from her home – earning just Rs. 4000 per month. With a taste of success in her mouth, she has grand plans for the future – building the business up, establishing her own shop for greater visibility and production space, and being a role model for other women in their community – and her children too!

2. Tailor Turned Entrepreneur – TIKUBEN PRAJAPATI (38) Gandhinagar, Gujarat

No one could ever have imagined where stitching clothes would take Tikuben Prajapthi – least of all Tikuben herself, who today runs 3 different businesses, and employs her husband also!

It all started from her home, where as a housewife, Tikuben would take small orders to stitch blouses, kurtas and salwar kameez. But all that changed the day she enrolled in the assistant beauty parlour course at SEDI.

On completion she opened a parlour in her home and managed to operate both the small businesses around her household chores. But the tailoring business slowly grew and she decided to take things to the next level. She enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Development Program at SEDI and never looked back.

She closed her parlour, and shifted the sewing business into a small shop she took on rent – dividing her time between tailoring, selling dress materials and accessories, and designing her own clothes. She saw an opportunity in purchasing material and selling it wholesale – a gap in the market that saw the business really take off.

Meanwhile, her husband had been operating a small garage in the village and watched as his wife’s success snowballed. With a background in sales and business, he decided to close his garage and join Tikuben in the business.

Today she employs 4 staff, has invested in a two-wheeler and four-wheeler for deliveries and purchasing, and has even grander aspirations. With a flair for designing and doing intricate embellishments to clothes, Tikuben is working towards opening her own boutique  with her own line of designer clothes.

3. Parlour Paves Way for Adoption: KIRAN SAINI (33) Chirawa, Rajasthan

After marriage, Kiran Saini’s husband refused to let her get a job. Why should she? He was supporting the family as a computer operator. But with a Masters in Political Science & History, Kiran aspired to much more than being a housewife. 

Feeling stagnant at home, her interest in makeup and beauty sparked when she saw an advertisement for a SEDI course in Advanced Beautician. She dismissed the idea as a ‘pipe dream’, but when her friend told her about the same course a few weeks later, she felt motivated to take a look.

However, when she shared the idea with her husband, he was dead against it. But this time Kiran wasn’t taking no for an answer - she stopped eating in silent protest and decided to fast until he changed his mind. And change his mind, he did. After just 3 days, the entire family were in support of Kiran.

On completion of the course, Kiran had her sights set on opening her own parlour – borrowing Rs. 5 lakh to take a shop on rent and decking it out with all the right equipment. It was quite a risk and when she pulled up the shutters for the first time, she didn’t get a single customer for 3 whole days. It was a painstaking wait, but on the fourth day, her first client set foot in the door. 

She threw herself into the business and helped 2 girls (Pinky & Morbi) who had no immediate family. Kiran took them under her wing, and eventually adopted them – taking care of all their education needs. It’s Kiran’s small way of giving back. She feels proud of her achievements and the money she earns, after all her years being housebound.