Breaking glass ceilings
ASITA Devi Deo is a trailblazer fearlessly navigating a maledominated field with grace and determination.
As the managing director of FastKil Pest Control Pte Ltd, Ms Deo has shattered glass ceilings and defied stereotypes, proving that gender is no barrier to success. Originally from Sigatoka and the eldest of four siblings, Ms Deo created FastKil in 1999 with her husband Vinay Chand. She said the idea of entering the industry came to her while helping her husband, who was already a pest control technician. “I helped my husband with his work as a pest control technician working for other companies and was inspired to start my own business,” Ms Deo said. According to her, it was expensive to start her business from scratch because she and her husband had to look for labour, capital and then join the market with no one to fall back on.
When they started out, she did all the work from sales, advertising, administration work and going out into the field.
“I was an all-rounder, but it’s challenging being a woman in this industry because you have to look after everything.
“Firstly, you have to look after your kids who are growing up, then you have to take care of your family, and I also had my husband’s father, who was 94 years old, to look after. So I had to be at home, then to the office and then out in the field.”
Ms Deo said being a woman in a male-dominated field was hard because people mock you and put you down; then there were instances of peer pressure.
However, she boasts a thick skin and its pushed her to be the best that she can be.
“I took those words as a challenge to show the world what the industry means for me and for my family.”
Ms Deo’s business has grown from having one staff member to more than 50 at three locations — one in Suva, one in Lautoka and one in Labasa.
She also has women in her business in various positions as pest control technicians, cleaners, in administration and management.
Her advice is to take up challenges, motivate yourself and keep going.