‘I always dreamt of a job that is challenging and motivating’

Sixteen years is a long time to prove oneself and take the challenges in a male-dominated field head-on.

Sixteen years is a long time to prove oneself and take the challenges in a male-dominated field head-on.

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Mumtaz Kazi, has done that and more.

She has been a motorwoman for 16 years and is setting an example for all women. Kazi is the first motorwoman to drive a diesel engine train on the Central Railway (CR) line.

Mumtaz had applied for a railways job in 1989 after seeing an an advertisement and today, she is motivating many other women to take up the job of driving a train.

Her experience of 29 years in the Indian Railways, playing different roles has also prepared her to face different challenges.

Kazi drives the local train on the CSMT-Thane route.

“There are so many lines on the central line. It is tiring mentally and physically. We have to undergo regular training,” said Kazi, a resident of Kurla.

Though the job is risky and demanding, Kazi said she has fulfilled her dream. “I always dreamt of a job that is challenging and motivating. Even if it is tiring, I enjoy my job. I have earned respect with my hardwork.”

After her graduation in 1989, she applied for the post of engine driver. She started driving train at the age of 20 in 1991.

In 2017, she received Nari Shakti Puraskar.