Women Remove Uterus to Avoid Wage Loss
Nitin Raut wrote to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray telling him that 30,000 women sugarcane workers are undergoing hysterectomy to avoid losing their daily wage.
On Wednesday 25 December, Minister Nitin Raut wrote to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray telling him that 30,000 women sugarcane workers undergoing hysterectomy so that they do not lose their daily wage.In his letter Mr Raut said that, the Marathwada region in central Maharashtra has the highest number of sugarcane workers. Most of these workers are women.
Contractors draw up contracts with the husband and wife. The Husband & Wife are counted as one unit. Sugarcane cutting is a rigorous process and if the husband or wife takes leave for a day, the couple has to pay a fine of Rs. 500 per day to the contractor. Raut said that a large number of women prefer staying back home during menstrual cycles. When they stay at home, they do not get paid for those days.
When women stay home, it becomes a big loss for them. This is why, as an alternative, they are now removing their uterus.Many women have said that menstruation hinders their work and so uterus removal surgery has become very normal in the village of Beed.
Raut added that the women labourers will not undergo surgery if they are paid for the four days of the menstrual cycle.An inquiry in August 2019 said that, Contractors prefer women without a womb. As a result, over 13,000 sugarcane labourers have removed their uterus in Beed.
