Bengaluru, 8 March

In the heart of Vasanth Nagar, in the sweltering heat stands K Selvi, a 60-year-old vegetable vendor, her resilience shining through the beads of sweat glistening on her brow.

For Selvi, who has been working as a vendor for over 40 years, Women’s Day does not hold any particular importance. It is just another normal day for her who spends almost 10 hours at work. Selvi started selling veggies when she was 12 years old. Having completed her pre-university course, she worked briefly as an intern at Canara Bank. Later she donned the role of a Kannada teacher.

Shunted by poverty and with no support, Selvi could not secure a permanent job, which drove her back to selling vegetables. “My biggest misery was when I couldn't afford proper treatment for my husband during the pandemic,” said Selvi, whose husband died four years ago.