India’s virus-hunting women strike for pay and protection
The female tracers are overworked and not being paid and are subjected to insults and anger as Covid-19 surges in the country
07 August 2020 - 12:33
New Delhi — They helped eradicate polio in India and reduced the number of women dying during child birth. But the country’s catastrophic coronavirus outbreak, now the third-largest in the world, has pushed its all-female army of contact-tracing health workers to breaking point.
After months of harassment, underpayment and lack of protection from infection, about 600,000 of the country’s 1-million accredited social health activists — or Ashas, which also means hope in Hindi — are going on strike for two days to draw attention to their plight. Union leaders expect more may join as the word spreads...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.