Women's Day Special: Not just challenging, a fiery job

Shubhangi Yuvraj Mandale’s job is challenging as well as risky. And when she is in action, shoulder to shoulder with men, they’re saving lives.

She is one of the three women recruited as fire officers in the Mumbai Fire Brigade in April last year. The department also has seven fire women. Another batch of six fire women is currently undergoing training.

Shubhangi wanted to venture into challenging territories. “The need of women in a fire brigade is special, though it is not mandatory. Women and kids feel more secure when women are involved in rescue operations,” says the 26-year-old officer.

She says the encouragement and respect she receives from her male counterparts is valuable. “We never discriminate while assigning jobs. We don’t see whether the officer is he or she. There are no concessions for women fire officers,” says Suhas Joshi, chief fire officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade.

Shubhangi remembers the day she received the selection order. Her  relatives started gossiping about the nature of the work. “But even though my father was a farmer and my mother is not educated, they allowed me to follow my goal.”

When asked whether marriage would come in the way of her career, Shubhangi says, “I expect my life partner to accept me for what I am. I will never leave this profession.”