Tawheeda Akthar's father, employed as a laborer, struggled to fund her schooling in her family's native Kashmir.
"There were instances when I lacked even the bus fare," the 31-year-old says of her struggles as the eldest child in the family.
Still, she persevered and went on to complete her 12th-grade exam at a government higher secondary school.
She then enrolled in an industrial training institute, where she learned cutting and sewing.
"It pushed me to think creatively and find solutions to challenges, ultimately reshaping my life," she says of her journey, which has since led her to open an ITI center and a boutique for women and 300 young men.
Now, Akthar says, she can " confidently claim success as an entrepreneur."
She's trained more than 1,200 girls in sewing, and most of them are running their own boutiques, she says.
"Most of them are running their boutiques," she adds.
"Today, I can confidently claim success as an entrepreneur," she says.
"I aim to be a pillar of strength my father embodying support not constrained by gender roles."
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