We finally live in a world where the gender gap between men and women is slowly being bridged. It is no longer a rare sight to find women working as bus conductors, real estate brokers, service station attendants, pilots, detectives, among others. These strong-willed women not only capture hearts but also open doors to many others who perhaps lack the courage to follow their dreams. Here are ten such women who decided to walk the path less taken and rock unconventional jobs with panache:

Rajni Pandit: Maharashtra's first private detective.

In a country where parents are scared when their daughters aren't home after dark, Indian women seldom consider a career as a 'Private Detective.' However, Rajni Pandit had other plans. She broke the stereotype of this male dominated industry by becoming Maharashtra’s first woman private investigator.

Harshini Kanhekar: India’s first female firefighter.

Kanhekar applied to Nagpur's National Fire Service College (NFSC), an all-male college and went on to become the first and only woman in the college to graduate. Though she was initially received with skepticism, she won immense admiration later.