Tamil Nadu Woman Disguised Herself As A Man For 30 Years To Provide For Daughter. It’s Sad She Had To Do That!
The struggles of a woman in a deeply embedded patriarchal society are endless. Every day, there are numerous pieces about women in the news that come and go. In a very heart-wrenching incident from Tamil Nadu, it was discovered that a woman had been dressing as a man for 30 years to raise her daughter. Unbelievable, isn’t it? What could have made her take the decision not to reveal her true identity to the world? Well, the answers will upset you.
S Petchiammal, a 57-year-old woman who is a resident of Tamil Nadu, shared her journey of disguising herself as a man for 30 years. She belongs to Katunayakkanpatti village, which conforms to a patriarchal-driven mindset. The village was against the idea of women being employed. Since she was the sole bread earner of the house and needed to provide for her daughter, S Petchiammal in her own way tried to escape the shackles of her village’s patriarchal mindset.
At the age of 20, fifteen days after her marriage, S Petchiammal lost her husband to a heart attack. Since then, she has been dressing like a man so she could provide for her child. Talking to The New Indian Express, S Petchiammal expressed her emotions about the harassment and struggles she faced while working at a construction site and a tea shop. As the only solution to this problem, she decided to visit the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple where she chopped her hair. She changed her entire attire to a lungi and shirt.
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S Petchiammal also revealed that only her close relatives knew about this secret. Her disguise allowed her several work opportunities as a painter, tea-master, etc. She earned enough to save for her daughter’s secure future. Another shocking revelation made by her was that even her official IDs had her disguised identity on them.
It is heartbreaking to hear such stories from our country, but they are also true. A reality in which women must make unthinkable choices in order to survive. We may be fortunate to live in modern India, but we must acknowledge that there is still a portion of the country that requires a significant shift in mindset.
Photo Courtesy: Twitter
