Woman disguised herself as a man for 36 years to raise daughter

S Petchiammal, the 57-years-old mother, is from Tamil Nadu’s Katunayakkanpatti village which had a dominant patriarchal society

A woman in India’s Tamil Nadu disguised herself as a man for more than 30 years in order to raise her daughter alone 'in a patriarchal society,' according to a video that has gone viral on the internet.  

S Petchiammal, the 57-years-old mother from Tamil Nadu’s Katunayakkanpatti village which had a dominant patriarchal society, was only 20 years old when she lost her husband 15 days after their wedding to a heart attack, Times Now reported.

She gave birth to a baby girl later and had to start working to make ends meet. 

However, in the patriarchal society of Kattunayakanpatti, Petchiammal had to face harassment by the people of her village for being a working woman. 

In an interview with The New Indian Express Petchiammal said she had to become 'Muthu' after the death of her husband as she had to suffer sexual abuse and other challenges while working at construction sites, hotels and tea shops. 

She chopped her hair, and changed into a blouse and lungi to put a stop to her misery. Petchiammal changed her name to Muthu.

“We resettled at Kattunayakkanpatti over 20 years ago. Only my close relatives back home and my daughter knew that I am a woman,” she told The New Indian Express.

"I did all kinds of jobs, from working as a painter, tea master, parotta master to 100-day work. I saved every penny to ensure a safe and secure life for my daughter. After days, Muthu turned to be my identity, which in turn was mentioned on all documents, including Aadhaar, Voter ID, and bank account," She added.

Patchiammal's daughter, Shanmugasundari, is now married. However, the 57-year-old mother is not ready to change her attire

This alternate identity ensured a safe life for her daughter, Times Now cited her as saying. She also expressed her desire to continue living as 'Muthu' until her death.