Women Butcher Now Taking Bookings: A Woman Who Turned Passion into Profession (Video)
Across the globe, butchery is widely perceived as a male-dominated trade. However, breaking stereotypes and challenging societal norms, Anaya – popularly known as “Anaya the Butcher” – is making headlines for being one of the few women to take up butchery as a profession.
Hyderabad: Across the globe, butchery is widely perceived as a male-dominated trade. However, breaking stereotypes and challenging societal norms, Anaya – popularly known as “Anaya the Butcher” – is making headlines for being one of the few women to take up butchery as a profession.
Anaya’s journey into this unconventional field began with a childhood fascination. She recalls being deeply intrigued by knives, cleavers, and the process of animal slaughter from a very young age. “Whenever I saw someone slaughtering a goat or a chicken, I felt a strong desire to do it myself,” she shares. But in her community, the idea of a woman participating in slaughtering was almost unheard of.
She explains that even her own mother discouraged her from holding a knife, believing it to be improper for girls. However, Anaya’s passion didn’t fade. Instead, it grew stronger with time, compelling her to explore the matter further. She began researching — reading books, searching online, and consulting religious scholars.
Her curiosity and determination eventually led her to a significant discovery: according to Islamic scholars, women are permitted to perform the act of slaughter, provided they fulfill certain religious conditions, such as pronouncing the takbeer (the invocation said before slaughtering). With this religious clarity, she gained the confidence to move forward.
Anaya recounts a pivotal moment that changed everything for her. “Once, I went to buy chicken from the market, but I had doubts whether the butcher had recited the takbeer properly,” she recalls. When she discussed it with her husband, he encouraged her, saying, “Why don’t you start slaughtering the animals yourself?” That remark became the turning point. From that day on, Anaya took matters into her own hands — quite literally.
Today, Anaya not only slaughters animals herself but has also carved out a distinct identity in a field largely dominated by men. Through her work, she is breaking down long-held gender barriers and proving that with knowledge, determination, and sincerity, no job is beyond the reach of women.
Anaya the Butcher stands as a powerful example for women everywhere: if your intention is pure and your understanding sound, you can excel in any profession — even one traditionally reserved for men.
