This Indian Woman Made History and Prompted Ford Motor to Change Its Policy
In 1967, amidst the wave of second-wave feminism, 25-year-old Damyanti Hingorani data-faced rejection from ford Motors in Detroit for an engineering role. Undeterred by the initial refusal, she boldly declared, “I’m here, and unless you hire me, you’ll never have any.” Her determination led to her becoming Ford’s first female degreed engineer.
Born in 1942, Damyanti’s family relocated from Sindh, Pakistan, to mumbai during the tumult of Partition. Despite losing their wealth, her mother, Gopibai Hingorani, was resolute in providing Damyanti with an education, a commitment that paved the way for her exceptional career in engineering.
At the age of 13, a speech by indian Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, encouraging both boys and girls to pursue engineering, inspired Damyanti and fueled her ambition to become one of India’s pioneering female engineers.
Damyanti made history as the first female mechanical engineer at her indian engineering college. Despite facing obstacles such as long commutes to access a restroom, she received support from the dean, who had a bathroom installed for her. Her perseverance in this male-dominated field was just the start of her trailblazing career.
After moving to America with her family’s savings, Damyanti joined ford Motors, where she eventually met her husband, Subhas Gupta, and raised two sons. Defying societal expectations, she advanced in her career, earning promotions and recognition along the way.