Woman Disguises Self As A 'Man' For 36 Years To Safely Raise Daughter Alone

An Indian woman lived in the guise of a man to safely earn a living and raise her daughter all by herself.

The now 57-year-old woman named Pechiyammal hails from the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and lived 36 years of her life as a man named “Muthu.”

Pechiyammal said she was only 20 years old when she lost her husband 15 days into their marriage. She found herself forced to be a single mother to her child, born after her husband’s death.

She decided not to remarry and began taking on different kinds of jobs to sustain her daughter.

“I decided not to marry again. But raising a child alone turned out to be difficult,” Pechiyammal told the New Indian Express. “I worked in construction sites, hotels and tea shops. But I suffered harassment at all these places.”

Pechiyammal grew tired of the sexual taunts and the struggles that came with working in male-dominated environments. She then decided to live as a man and gave birth to the new identity of “Muthu.”

The woman chopped her hair off and dressed like a man. She began sitting in seats reserved for men whenever she took the bus and started using the men’s toilet in public. Her official documents also eventually carried the name Muthu.

At her workplaces, Muthu turned into “Muthu Master” for mastering the many jobs she took on, including making Parotta, which is a flaky, layered flatbread popular in South India.

“I did all kinds of jobs, from working as a painter, tea master, parotta master to 100-day work,” she said, according to News18. “I saved every penny to ensure a secured life for my daughter. After days, Muthu turned to be my identity, which in turn was mentioned on all documents.”

Only her daughter and some close family members back at home knew that she was a woman.

“Keeping the safety of my daughter in mind, I decided to go through the trouble. Disguising as a man kept me safer at my workplace at a time when I was traveling more to earn my livelihood,” Pechiyammal said, according to the outlet.

Pechiyammal now lives a content life, knowing that she has fulfilled everything she wished for.

“My daughter is married and I feel I have fulfilled all my desires,” she added.

The mother does not plan on putting her identity of Muthu to rest.

“This identity ensured a safe life for my daughter. I will remain Muthu until I die,” she told the New Indian Express.