CHENNAI: The saying that the hand adorned with bangles cannot wield fire is passe. With protective goggles on, women are marching ahead, doing physically demanding jobs. Factories across Tamil Nadu are hiring more women into the world of welding, a field long considered a man’s domain.
Kannagi Rajendiran, a 23-year-old from Jeyamkondan in Ariyalur, is one such woman breaking barriers. She has been working as a welder at Schwing Stetter India for nearly four years and has won the award for Best Pipe Welder (Women) in the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) 6G competition organised by the Indian Institute of Welding. This competition tests welders’ skills on a stationary pipe positioned at a 45-degree angle, requiring them to weld around the pipe in different positions. Mastery in this competition demonstrates advanced technique and versatility as the 6G position is one of the most difficult.
Kannagi’s parents are agricultural labourers. While her elder brother works as a driver, her sister completed her engineering degree from a government college. After finishing Class 12, Kannagi was determined to finish her higher education quickly, so that she could start supporting her family. She enrolled for electronics and communication engineering at a government polytechnic college in Tiruchy, and landed a job as a trainee in Schwing Stetter India in 2021. “When I joined as a trainee and began welding, there were no women in the setup. Many were skeptical about how women could perform these physically demanding tasks. I was scared too, but it motivated me to work harder and prove myself in this male-dominated field. Just two months into training, I was appreciated by top officials for my good work and the doubts disappeared,” Kannagi recalled.
Initially, her family had concerns regarding her career choices, particularly health risks associated with welding. “They were worried about skin problems and eye irritation. In the beginning, I had black spots on my skin and eye discomfort, but with proper medication and safety measures, I got through it. No job is easy, and once I got used to the process, these problems went away,” she explained. She added that her family also accepted her choice seeing that she was firm on her decision that she would be a welder in the fabrication section of the company.
Speaking about her competition win, Kannagi said she underwent extensive training in different welding categories at the company. To win, the weld has to be aesthetically flawless with no visible cracks. It needs to have proper penetration into both materials that are being welded together for strength and be free from porosity (small holes or gas pockets).
As many as three women from her company, including Kannagi, participated in the state-level competition at Chennai and they were all selected. At the national level, Kannagi was the clear winner. “I am proud of my weld. It had good penetration and there was no porosity. Winning made me happy and I hope more women break barriers and enter male-dominated professions in the coming years. They will discover that women too can accomplish in male-dominated fields, and realise that they are at par with men,” Kannagi said.
(Edited by Meghna Murali)
