Jaipur Junctions lady porter

In a country where deep-rooted patriarchy persists and the women’s roles are still largely seen as home-makers and child bearers, one rural Indian woman is defying the odds. Widowed a year ago and with three children to support, 30-year-old villager Manju Devi left her drought-stricken village to work among 200 men as a porter or “coolie” at Jaipur city’s railway station. The story by Thomson Reuters Foundation's South Asia Correspondent Nita Bhalla details the challenges that Manju faces in doing what is considered “man’s job”.