India’s first woman WWE wrestler Kavita Devi continues to fight patriarchy

› Even today, my husband cannot see me getting more respect and success than him. KAVITA DEVI, wrestler

: Haryana wrestler Kavita Devi, who is the first Indian woman to be signed by international tournament WWE, continues to fight patriarchy back home in her everyday life. Hailing from Jind in Haryana, Kavita was married off to Bhijwara in Uttar Pradesh in 2009. She was back here at her parents’ house when she shared how she, besides knocking a punch in the ring, fights patriarchy and misogynistic society every day.

“I faced a lot of problems to be where I am today. My husband continues to live by old male-dominating mentality. Even today, he can’t digest if I am getting more respect and success than him. He gets angry at me for getting more response from public. I tell him that my success is not just my own, but of our entire family. My in-laws expect me to do household chores—jhadoo

pocha bartan,” she said. Kavita said it all came back to square one after she got married. She said when she had started training initially, she fought her misogynistic villagers who asked her parents to not waste money and marry her off. But she said wanted to break the boundaries set for girls. “My parents supported me in my journey and did not listen to people. They took loans to fund my training. Now, I will work hard to fulfil all their wishes,” she said.

The wrestler, famous by her ring name Hard KD, said her family was so poor that she once had to steal money from a temple to buy toothpaste.

“When I was training and living in hostel, I once did not get monthly pocket money from my family. I was in need of money but too shy to ask anyone. So I borrowed ₹15 kept below an idol in a temple, promising I would keep it back once I have it,” she said.