Anita Tharu breaks glass ceiling to become grader operator

By Our Correspondent Ghorahi, May 13: Anita Tharu is found digging and constructing new road track from city to village in Ghorahi. For the past four years Tharu has been driving heavy vehicle for constructions in various places including Dang. 

Tharu, a grader operator in Ghorahi Sub-metropolitan for the past one year, has started operating a grader for construction works carried by the metropolitan recently. She came to Dang from Bardiya and learned to operate the machine with the help of her relatives after completing her college, said Tharu. 

"I was unable to continue my studies due to the poor financial condition of my family, so I stayed at home," said Tharu. She informed that her brother-in-law was working as a grader operator in the construction of Ghorahi-Murkuti road at the time. 

After working for one year as an assistant grader operator in the road construction company with him, she became capable to operate the machine on her own. 

She said that even though it is difficult to work in the construction sector, success can be achieved with confidence and hard work. After a year of her experience as a grader operator, she applied for the license in 2019. She was the only woman among the 13 applicants who took the middle examination for heavy equipment. She appeared confident in the examination. 

Recalling her happy moment of getting a license in the first attempt, she said that she had operated graders in Dang, Pyuthan and Bardiya after that. She said that although it is difficult to operate grader compared to other vehicles, she feels easy operating it due to her experience. "It's harder to operate this machine than any other device," she said.  Operating a grader for the past four years, she urged unemployed women to learn the skills and get a job. 

She said that she is satisfied with her work even though it is difficult for women to work in the construction sector. The only daughter among the four children of the family, Tharu said that since she could not continue her study, the profession is fit for her. 

She passed grade 10 from the local Surya Secondary School and grade 12 from Bageshwori Secondary School in Kohalpur, Banke district. However, she discontinued her study and became a machine operator due to poor economic condition.

She said that since she was a women grader operator, people came to see her leaving behind their work when she started the profession. Now, the situation has become normal. "Initially, I learned to work on the construction of the Ghorahi-Murkuti road connecting Dang with Pyuthan," said Tharu. She added that her family is supportive to her at present though they were not initially.