In a strange place

Unexpectedly, I found myself in a strange place.

I was in a car, on my way to visit a company located outside the city. We left early, to avoid the city traffic and eased into the one-lane highway after a while. I dozed off, tired from the previous day’s work. When I opened my eyes, I saw a field of green – lush countryside, soaked from the recent rains, sprouting young shoots, grass blades, still tingling green from the new growth. Trees occasionally dotted the field of vision. There weren’t any of the majestic brown rocks that are more commonplace in the outskirts of Hyderabad. There were no buildings as far as the eye could see. Trucks whizzed by along with bullock carts and tractors. No honking, no traffic jams. A herd of buffaloes slowed our journey for a few minutes as they silently deliberated among themselves while standing in the middle of the busy highway. Goats seemed content, munching grass and bushes – what a relief to see the animals eating natural food, not human garbage as is common around dumpsters in the city. About a dozen camels suddenly came into view, eagerly chomping down on tree branches higher than their tall heads, happy to find greenery at their level. Our daily concrete landscape is so much part of our life that we seldom stop to appreciate the wonder of things that are not man-made.

When we arrived at the destination, an even stranger experience awaited. It was a site with no women employees, except for housekeeping staff. It was a manufacturing environment, in a location not favoring local scientific talent. Most male staff either lived with roommates in the small town or commuted to Hyderabad to be with their families on weekends. I realized that I was not as concerned about me being the only woman who was not housekeeping staff, but more surprised that it was still possible to find workplaces bereft of women. I think we have made considerable progress if our general perception is one which assumes a gender-inclusive workplace.