Village resident ends abusive marriage, is now Swiggy’s 1st woman delivery exec in Uttarakhand

RUDRAPUR: Nayak Gotha is a remote village nestled in Tanakpur region of Uttarakhand’s Champawat district, a good 25 km away from the sub-district headquarter Poornagiri. Here, Manisha Bohra Singh, 31, mother of two daughters aged seven and four, sets out early in the morning, daily, on a bike, and delivers items for online food delivery platform Swiggy.Singh, the first female delivery executive of Swiggy in Uttarakhand, is an inspiration to her two young daughters, the 3000 odd residents of her small village and the rest of Uttarakhand. She walked out of an abusive marriage in Ghaziabad a couple of months ago and returned to her hometown. In order to support herself and her young children, she enrolled with Swiggy as a deliverywoman. She now earns around Rs 15,000 per month.
Singh had married Mahendra Singh, a resident of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and employee of a private company in Noida, in 2015. Her husband frequently beat her. After her second daughter’s birth in 2019, the beatings resulted in a miscarriage. That is when she decided to leave. In January this year, she moved back to Uttarakhand, to Udham Singh Nagar district headquarters Rudrapur, banking on some friends working in the Pantnagar industrial area. She tried to get work there, but being unable to care for her children at the same time, was unsuccessful. She then returned to her native village.
Singh eventually got to know that Swiggy was hiring delivery persons. She had learnt how to ride a bike from her father and decided to take up the job. Singh, who has now spent around half a year on the job, recalls that it was difficult at first. “I was very nervous on the first day. I kept calling my colleagues for guidance. However, it got easier within a week,” she says.
“I start working at 7am every day and work till late at night, riding over 150 kilometres daily on my bike. My daughters and young and would rather have me by their side at home. But surprisingly, they understand the demands of my work and are very supportive,” Singh said.
She added that her husband had threatened to file a false case against her and she is now thinking of going to police and complaining against him.
Swiggy’s team leader of UP (West) and Uttarakhand, Shivam Aggarwal, said, “Manisha was the first woman delivery person hired by Swiggy in Uttarakhand. Now, there are five others. To ensure a safe working space for them, we provide gender-sensitive training and support, addressing harassment complaints promptly and offering flexible schedules. We want a more inclusive and diverse workplace and want to give equal opportunities to women.”
Another woman who works for Swiggy in Dehradun said anonymously that the job, regarded as unconventional for a woman, does come with its challenges. “We face safety concerns, long working hours and even harassment and gender discrimination. We often deal with late-night deliveries, unsupportive customers and limited access to restrooms. That said, the company does work to ensure our well-being.”
Zomato, which also has a considerable presence in Uttarakhand, is also considering recruiting more female delivery agents. The company had employed five women delivery agents, who left due to personal reasons.
The company’s assistant manager, Samarjeet Singh, said, “We are organising walk-in interviews and hope women apply for delivery roles. Zomato aims to break traditional gender stereotypes associated with this line of work.”
Rajnish Batra, a women and children’s rights activist from the city, said that “traditionally, the women in Uttarakhand have never shied away from taking up difficult or unconventional work to support their families”.
“The women of this hill state are known for their indomitable spirit and strong desire to support their families by whatever means available, even if it means stepping out of conventional boundaries. You will find many women tour guides, handicraft business owners, hotel or eatery owners here. The government must provide vocational training to women, especially those that are married, so they can enhance their skills and be self-reliant.”