Bank or bike, these women are bosses of both

With a wide smile on their faces and all buckled up for their bike rally, the six women were a picture of delight. The employees of a prominent bank in Kerala, they got on their mean machines a few days ago like pros and couldn’t wait to vroom away. The biker babes, Lavanya from Bengaluru, Merilyn Hamlet from Kozhikode, Surya Ravindran from Thrissur, Seetha V Nair from Thiruvananthapuram, Febina K B from Aluva and Sangeetha Sikhamani from Kozhikode were selected from the many nominations that got filed from across the various branches of the bank, for this unique expedition and they spoke to us just before the much-awaited tour began.One of the bikers, Sangeetha Sikhamani, said that they would travel from Kochi to New Delhi, till August 20. According to her, it would be more than a bike trip. “We would stop at six places such as Kochi, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and New Delhi, and indulge in some discussions about gender equality and women empowerment with the invitees there. A handful of women achievers would also be felicitated on those occasions.”Given that their professional life is strenuous and hectic, this trip should be a stress buster for sure, said Febina. “Such a trip is a first for me, though my husband and I often switch the handles of our bike, while commuting in the city. It was my husband, who encouraged me to start driving a bike. While we used to commute in the city, the heavy traffic would always make him irritated, and it was at that time that he suggested I start giving him a helping hand,” she revealed. Merilyn, meanwhile, called it a “celebration of womanhood and female friendships.”Forty-one-year-old Seetha V Nair, the oldest among the lot, was excited that the bunch had women from early twenties to forties. “This rally would be an icebreaking session, as it breaks boundaries of hierarchies in office, includes bikers from different cadres and age groups,” said Seetha. Merilyn also termed the age just a number as far as the expedition is concerned. “The fact that we are all connected with each other through our passion for biking clearly announces it too,” said the biker, who added that ‘Real queens help each other.’ “This indirectly intends to bring women closer and make them reach out to each other, which is what true women empowerment is,” she said.It’s impromptu trips that can throw very many surprises, but the well-planned nature of this trip hasn’t taken away any excitement, said the ladies. “Actually, it has induced a lot more confidence in me,” said Seetha. “We have been properly advised on tackling a variety of situations such as technical glitches, varied and intense climatic conditions and more,” Sangeetha mentioned. The women also opined that more institutions should provide such opportunities to their employees. “More than anything, it is a great way to make the employees feel that the company cares for them,” said Merilyn, signing off.