Meena Chaudhary breaks the "Glass ceiling", as the first woman elephant driver

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2012/January/international_January338.xml&section=international

Nepal’s first female mahout leads elephant safaris (AFP)

10 January 2012

KATHMANDU — Nepal’s first female mahout, one of only a handful of women across Asia to be selected to drive elephants, spoke Tuesday of her pride at breaking into the all-male profession.

Meena Chaudhary, 33, was selected for the highly-specialised role after being picked from a female-only shortlist of 15 candidates as part of a government scheme to get more women working in the public sector.

“Women are flying aircraft. So, driving an elephant is peanuts,” she said. “I wanted to prove that we’re equal to men. I showed it by being an elephant driver.” snip

The job has traditionally been a men-only preserve because women are often considered weak in the conservative, Hindu-majority Himalayan nation.

[ensho]

1. wonderful! hugs and kisses for Meena

she must have had to don, and still wear, armor to dodge the slings and arrows from the men.

[Swede]

2. That poor elephant will have lots of dented fenders.

nt