Narmadapuram (Madhya Pradesh): It is early morning. Two young women, Sonam and Vimala from Tekapar village, were getting ready. They had to go deep into the woods of Satpura Tiger Reserve.
Their three other colleagues, Archana, Pooja and Neha, who come from Kamti village, were, too, gearing up to accompany Sonam and Vimala.
These five women have little time to waste. They have to take the tourists to different parts of the forests and tell them about Satpura’s biodiversity, natural beauty and other aspects.
They are working as guides and drivers. It is something new for women in this remote area of Madhya Pradesh. This job was previously considered a mail domain. But women have opted for this work.
They also inform the tourists about the biodiversity, wildlife and natural beauty of the Satpura Tiger Reserve. According to Vimala, the work gives her immense satisfaction.
Once people believed that the job of a guide, and that too in a forest, was not meant for women, but their mindset changed with the passage of time, she said. Now, women have become self-reliant and are encouraging others to come forward, she said.
Working as guides has not only given them satisfaction but also confidence, the women guides said.
The financial condition of their families has also improved, they said. Many other women have come forward to work as guides and opted for training for the job.
“We get a lot of experiences from the tourists and make them aware of the importance of preserving forests,” the women guides said. They say it is an example of women's empowerment and highly encouraging.
They work throughout the day. Slowly the afternoon falls. And this is the time to return home and take care of the family responsibilities.
