Women are fighting for their equality in more ways than one to get equal opportunities and the latest entrant is a Manipuri woman who is now the first pilot from her Naga tribe. It comes as a welcome surprise because of the regressive mentality of her patriarchal tribe even in times like today which make it difficult for women to make it big at the world stage.
According to a report in the NorthEast Today, Rouveinai Poumai is from the Poumai-Nagai tribe in Manipur and is currently employed with Jet Airways as a pilot.It is a big achievement for the Manipuri as she has broken all stereotypes in the primarily male dominated Naga society. Rouveinei has completed her Commercial Pilot Course from the Basiar Aviation College, Cessnock in New South Wales, Australia.
Rouveinai has turned out to be a role model for her tribe as no other girl has made it to the big stage even after the Supreme Court granting a 33 percent reservation last year. The decision came after several women groups sought help from the Court after they weren't allowed to do much in any major sector. Though the reservation came as a positive outcome, many tribes saw it as a problem because it broke their age-old customs and traditions. It won't be long before many other women take up flying after Roveinai's accomplishment as the first commercial pilot from her tribe in India.