Women from Mayiladuthurai and other places in the state are breaking barriers as wall painters, a traditionally male-dominated field.
Durga Santhanam, D Rajkumari and S Venamati of Mayiladuthurai celebrated a memorable Ayudha Puja and Deepavali this year. As a member of a group of seven housewives who are certified wall painters, she was honored by local organizations along with male professionals during festivals.
Wall painting, once a male dominated area in the construction sector, has emerged as a new employment opportunity for women in rural areas.
As part of its strength training programme, Japanese company Nippon Paint has trained more than 500 women in places like Mayiladuthurai, Ocheri, Ramasamypatti and Annamalai in Tamil Nadu. This has led to the emergence of small groups of women painting contractors armed with the skills to give a facelift to the schools, homes and temples around them with the swipe of their brush.
“We never had a job before this,” says Venmati, who brought her three-month-old daughter to orientation. “Most of our family discouraged us, because they feared for our safety, and also doubted our ability to take up such a difficult profession.”
no lose
But Housewives stuck to their guns, and went ahead with the course in 2019. After a lull due to the lockdown, he is back at work, and is among the most active painting contractors in his area, earning up to ₹650 a day. ,
“Videos of our paintwork, shot on our phones, helped us convince our families to take it professionally,” says Durga, adding that the video also acted as an electronic business card for us, and gave us new ideas. Got the assignment.
There is an easy camaraderie among women. “After wearing saris all my life, wearing T-shirts and slacks to work was awkward,” laughs Venmati. “Now we think working only in uniform: It’s better than a sari when you’re climbing a high wall. Some of us have modified it to suit our dress code, but we make sure we harness And wear protective gear like headwear.”
The women have also traveled outside Mayiladuthurai to do contract painting at their own expense. “We painted buildings in Chidambaram, and also went to Vellore and Veppampattu in Chennai, where we stayed for two months,” says Durga.
They are enjoying their newfound financial freedom. “I was able to buy a two-wheeler. This helps me complete my assignments faster,” says Rajkumari, “and I can repay the vehicle loan with my earnings.”