Indian Railways has witnessed a steady growth in women’s participation in its workforce. The number of female employees has now reportedly exceeded 1.13 lakh, taking the total workforce percentile to 8.2. This marks a steady rise in the workforce from 6.6 percent in 2014.
Women are playing a significant role in different sectors across the railway network. According to reports, an official statement noted that there are a total of 2,162 women working as loco pilots. Additionally, about 794 women are playing a crucial role as train managers (guards), while there are 1,699 women station masters deployed across the country.
Besides being stationed in operational roles, women are contributing in high capacities in administrative and maintenance sectors. Indian Railways have a total of 2,360 women supervisors and around 12,362 female staff, reports added. In a field dominated mostly by men, at least 7,756 hard-working women are now ensuring the seamless operation of trains.
Apart from the above-mentioned roles, women are also actively involved in different roles including ticket checkers (4,446) and pointsmen (4,430). Notable examples of women’s empowerment are witnessed in Matunga, New Amravati, Ajni, and Gandhinagar railway stations. A railway official was quoted as saying, “The increasing participation of women in Indian Railways reflects a positive shift toward gender equality and empowerment in one of the country’s most critical sectors,” said a railway official.”
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