As the world is set to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, Punjab too has witnessed several women break barriers, set example and pave way for others by becoming the ‘first’ to reach a certain place, position or platform. These women not only created history but also shattered pre-conceived notions about women and what role they play in the society.
To name a few, here are some notable examples:
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal - first woman Chief Minister of Punjab
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal served as Punjab’s very first female Chief Minister from November 1996 to February 1997, and till date she remains the only woman to have held the Chief Minister’s post in Punjab so far. Bhattal belonged to Indian National Congress and also served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab (2004–2007).
Vini Mahajan - first woman Chief Secretary of Punjab
Vini Mahajan, a 1987-batch officer became the first female in Punjab’s history to head the state bureaucracy as Chief Secretary in June 2020. Earlier in her career, she also became the first woman Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Punjab, when she was posted as DC of Ropar in 1995.
Gurpreet Deo - first woman IPS of Punjab
Gurpreet Deo, a 1993-batch IPS officer, became the first woman the first women IPS officer in Punjab to attain the rank of Director General of Police (DGP). She had earlier served as Additional DGP (Community Affairs Division and Women Affairs), ADGP-cum-chief of anti-drug Special Task Force, Chief Vigilance Officer, ADGP (Crime), Bureau of Investigation and ADGP (Administration).
Dhanpreet Kaur - first woman Police Commissioner of Jalandhar
Dhanpreet Kaur, a 2006-batch IPS officer, became the first woman to head the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate in 2025. Kaur was previously serving as Inspector General (IG) of Ludhiana Range before being appointed to lead the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police.
Harnaaz Sandhu - first Sikh woman to become Miss Universe
Harnaaz Sandhu became the first Sikh woman the third Indian woman to be crowned as the Miss Universe. She won Miss Universe 2021 in Eilat, Israel with her roots from Chandigarh, Punjab. Before that, she had also won Femina Miss India Punjab (2019) and later Miss Diva Universe (2021).
