International Women's Day: Hope of a better life eludes ASHA, site workers

Pay disparity, absence of social security or support system remain dominant themes

Every morning, Sarita Gavit (name changed) would wake up early, cook for her children, and head to the public healthcare centre (PHC) where she worked as an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA). July 3, 2023 was no different. She set out with other ASHA workers from her house in Dhule, Maharashtra, to travel 15 km to the PHC. All of them were crammed into a kaali-peeli taxi.

Enroute to the PHC, the taxi overturned. Gavit was among the ASHA workers killed on the spot. 

“It has been months since the incident, but neither the state nor the central government has given us any compensation,” says her sister. “She has a young child who has to be looked after.”

ASHA is a government scheme, but those registered for it get no pension or compensation in the event of an accident or death on the job.

It is the ‘activist’ tag in ASHA that is a burden, says Netradipa Patil, an ASHA worker from Maharashtra.

This plight extends beyond ASHA workers to women in the informal workforce, including domestic helps and those working at construction sites.

Overworked, underpaid 

Nivedita Shinde Chadhachan, an ASHA worker from Karnataka posted in Maharashtra, diverted from her usual routine one Saturday. Instead of heading to the PHC, she travelled from Thane to Azad Maidan in south Mumbai to participate in a protest.

Around 5,000 ASHA workers gathered at Azad Maidan that day, rallying for an increase in their honorarium from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000 a month. "A Cabinet minister promised us this during Diwali, and even after the Budget session, we have received no updates," says Chadhachan.

On top of this, there was only a marginal increase in the Budget for the National Health Mission (NHM), raising concerns about the financial stability of ASHA workers. The NHM Budget was increased from Rs 31,278 crore in 2022-23 (FY23) to a mere Rs 31,550 crore in FY24.

Kojum Karga, an ASHA worker from Arunachal Pradesh, points out, "A major problem with the Budget has been the reduction in performance-based incentives. While our situation remains largely unchanged, workers in Assam have reported diminished incentives – from Rs 80 to Rs 50 for every antenatal check-up."

Digitisation has compounded their problem. "We are expected to record our progress every night, but we receive only Rs 100 per month for these expenses,” says Anita Devi, an ASHA worker from Haryana. “There was no awareness campaign, and no one guided us through the changes."

The long working hours and the demanding nature of their responsibilities further add to the mental toll on ASHA workers. "Our work hours have extended since Covid, and there have been instances where I have had to leave my one-year-old child with my sister late at night due to an emergency,” says Patil. “We weren't even compensated for the transportation expenses."

ASHA workers also highlight the absence of pension provisions and the challenges posed by the e-shram portal, which does not register anyone above 40, making them ineligible for security benefits.

Site of woes

For women in the construction sector, life at work is even more demanding. 

According to a 2023 report, the Indian construction sector employs about 7 million (12 per cent) female workers compared to 50 million male workers. Women workers, both in the labour force and in technical and leadership roles, earn 30–40 per cent and 15 per cent less, respectively, than their male counterparts, the report found.

Adding to the woes, several states have reduced Budget allocations for construction workers. 

The challenges extend beyond pay disparities. Working conditions, too, are trying. 

“My husband and I work at the construction site,” says Preeti, who works in Ferozepur, Punjab (she gave only her first name). “I had a child last year,” she says, but there is no place where she can leave him. “If I try to look after him, I am perceived to be not working. How is this fair?” she says.

In 2013, there were 25,000 creches across the country under the National Creche Scheme, benefiting over 600,000 individuals. However, by February 2023, the number dwindled to 3,900 with fewer than 84,000 beneficiaries.

 

Work woes
 

- ASHA workers highlight the absence of pension provisions
 

- They cite challenges posed by e-shram portal, which does not register anyone above the age of 40
 

- Women workers in the labour force and technical and leadership roles, earn 30–40% and 15% less, respectively, than male counterparts