We at ABFRL, present stories excerpted from our internal newsletter ‘In Touch’, where we celebrate stories of our people and their contributions.
If women set their minds on achieving something extraordinary, nothing in the world can stop them.
The strong-willed women in ABFRL’s Mancheshwar factory in Odisha have shattered myths that they are not strong enough to handle jobs, which were believed to be the forte of men. Here are some of the incredible things that our women are thriving at in our new setup in Odisha, with the mantra “I never dreamed of success, instead I worked for it!”
Skilful Cutting Finesse
The Cutting department is an important cog in the production of well-fitting and appealing apparel. As cutting machines require precision, and these machines are known to be heavy, men traditionally handle this department. But our power women rose to the challenge and skilfully manoeuvred the Die-Cutting, Straight Knife Cutting, and Band Knife-Cutting sections at the Cutting Department.
Managing Warehouse and Goods Movement
The despatch area in the warehouse entails lifting heavy boxes and navigating large cartons from one end of the storage area to another. This was another male-dominated area, where our women have excelled.
Handling Factory Store; The Nerve Center of All Operations
Before different fabrics are cut and transformed into beautiful apparel, they need to be sorted and stocked in the store department of the factory. This is a tedious process and plays an important role to ensure smooth production. Given the rigorous nature of operations in this department, it is preferred that men work here. But women have seamlessly taken over the Bell Opening, Fabric Roller Segregation and Roller Picking areas of Stores department; an amazing achievement indeed!
Ironing Out Wrinkles with Ease
The Ironing section of the sewing department is an important function of the finishing of apparel. Right from components to the final product, heavy ironing machines are deployed to ensure perfect ironing and packaging of merchandise. Given the laborious nature of the department, more men are seen managing this section. But in this factory, women have stepped in and are doing a marvellous job!
