Rita Maurya is a middle-aged housewife from Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district. She wakes up early morning everyday to finish her household chores viz. cooking, cleaning, getting the kids ready, getting the house in order etc. This is the daily routine for millions of housewives in India who have, for centuries, been confined to the walls of their houses. However, Rita Maurya is breaking that glass ceiling and serving an inspiration to millions of other women. She drives an e-rickshaw and supports her husband who also is an e-rickshaw driver.
"Initially I faced a lot of resistance as people on the streets would tell me that this is not a woman's job," says Rita to our Community Correspondent Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal. The initial idea to get Rita to work was surprisingly proposed by her husband Rajesh Maurya. "We just wanted to have a better future for us and our children. There was no dire need of money. We just thought if two people earn it would lead to a better lifestyle," said Rajesh.
Today, Rita has been driving the e-rickshaw for five years now. It is time for people to realise that women are equally capable of excelling at jobs that are traditionally done by men. They just need to seen with the same perspective of equality and respect.
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