Young woman breaks taboo, blazes fresh trail

Saman Ayub, 24, works at a gasoline station in Clifton! Yes you heard it right. Yes, working in such male-dominated setting is unusual for women in our patriarchal society. But Saman is breaking the taboo and blazing a trail.

Saman also faces criticism for taking up a men-only job, but she is determined to supplement her family's income in this age of back-backing inflation.

Women's Equality Day is celebrated on August 26 across the world. Pakistan lags far behind the rest of the world in terms of gender equality, but many brave women are working to bridge the gap by joining non-traditional fields. Saman Ayub is one of them. She is an inspiration for others.

A resident of Korangi Crossing, Saman started working at the gas station in Clifton during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Her aim was to help her family amid rising inflation and hard economic times.

"When the coronavirus broke out two years ago, I decided to play the role of a son for my parents," Saman told The Express Tribune. "I was fed up with inflation and unemployment during the pandemic," she added.

Saman decided to disregard the social taboos and became a contributor to the family's income. "I have five sisters and one brother and we all live together with our parents," she said, adding that being the second eldest among the siblings she took upon herself to share the responsibilities of her father.

"Petrol pumps are filled with men of all sorts," she said, adding that she wanted to become a nurse but had to give up her dream due to unfavorable circumstances. "I was trained in various aspects of working at a petrol pump, including capping, refueling, using machines to charge credit & debt cards, and dealing with customers," she said. "Now, I can do everything without any supervision," she added.

Saman wanted to pursue the nursing profession, but she had to give up education after matriculation because it was becoming hard for the family to educate the children at a time of skyrocketing inflation and economic hardships.

Saman leaves home at 9 in the morning by rickshaw or bus and returns by 5 in the evening. "We have to deal with all kinds of people every day. Some are good and some are bad. If you treat them well, nobody will be bad," she said.

She admitted that some of her relatives criticized her for working in the men-only environment. "No one can see a woman feeding on her own labor, but no one will feed you even if you are starving," she said in reaction to the taunts and criticism she had to face.

Saman believes there is nothing that men can do and women cannot. "Everyone can do everything," she said. "Whenever I come across an angry customer, I smile and walk away because I have been trained to control my emotions," she said, adding that she does this even if it is the customer's fault.

Saman said people say that it is a men's job and women are not fit for it. "I say that I earn by hardwork and not by begging," Saman said, adding that she ignores discouraging people. "But there are also good people who encourage girls like me," she said.

On the Women's Equality Day, Saman said her message to women is to be resilient and join any occupation or work no matter how big or small it is. "No job is difficult. If men can do it, women can also do it," she said. "If girls step forward and accept economic challenges, then we can surely develop into a prosperous country," she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2022.