Rabat – A 57-year old Indian woman is making international headlines for her sacrifice to protect her daughter from what she has described as a “ patriarchal society.”
S.Petchiammal from Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, pretended to be a man for 36 years to raise her daughter and to avoid sexual harassment following the death of her husband.
Petchiammal’s husband died 15 days after their wedding. Aged only 20 at the time, the Indian woman found herself not just a widow but also pregnant with a daughter that she had to raise by herself.
The woman’s story has gone viral, with both Indian and international media highlighting Petchiammal’s courage and selflessness in raising her daughter in the face of daunting challenges.
After facing sexual harassment and other challenges in her hometown, Petchiammal moved to another town to escape from patriarchy. She decided to cut her hair and change her attire, disguising herself as a man to raise her daughter and avoid the sexual challenges she faced in her own village after her husband passed away.
“We resettled at Kattunayakkanpatti over 20 years ago. Only my close relatives back home and my daughter knew that I am a woman,” The New Indian Express quoted her as saying.
“I did all kinds of jobs, from working as a painter, tea master, parotta master to 100-day work. I saved every penny to ensure a safe and secure life for my daughter,” she added. “After days, Muthu [a male name] turned to be my identity, which in turn was mentioned on all documents, including Aadhaar, Voter ID, and bank account.”
Patchiamal’s said that she is not ready yet to change her attire back although her daughter is married.
She said that her identity as a man ensured a “safer life” for her daughter and therefore she wants to maintain the same person until her death.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) report on crime in India, total cases of sexual harassment stood at 17,003 in 2020. The number shows a slight decrease of 1,333 cases compared to 2019, when 18,334 sexual harassment reports were recorded.
