Beed, a city in Maharashtra, has the highest number of sugarcane cutters, with about half of the state’s 10 lakh cutters coming from there. However, the truth about women sugarcane cutters in Maharashtra often goes unnoticed. Every sugarcane harvest season, Beed farmers and their families migrate to Western Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and parts of Andhra Pradesh to work as sugarcane cutters. The leading cause of this migration is the continuous drought-like conditions in Beed. Farmers, even those with small plots of land, are unable to cultivate their own crops. It is primarily due to water scarcity.
These sugarcane cutters depend on seasonal sugarcane work for their income. They comprise migrant workers and marginal farmers. The situation worsens because there are no other job opportunities available for them.
A vicious cycle of slavery and physical distress
Sugarcane cutters are usually hired in pairs, known as “Jodi”, for a modest sum ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh for six months. The hiring of sugarcane cutters started with an agreement between sugar factories and intermediaries called Mukadams. These Mukadams receive commissions from the sugar factories, typically ranging from 15-25% of the amount paid for hiring a couple.
Sugarcane cutting is gruelling and demanding labour. It requires couples to work 12-18 hour shifts every day throughout their contract. If sugarcane production is low and their work finishes before the contract ends, the couple must return a portion of the advance they received to the Mukadams. If they’re unable to repay, lenders hold them captive until they return the money. As a result, for the remaining 6-8 months of the year, they are left with no choice but to work as indentured labourers under the control of sugar mill contractors.
The truth of women sugarcane cutters: The payout crisis
Sugarcane cutters do not receive their due payments collectively for the entire season but on a day-to-day basis. That makes each day’s work crucial for their livelihood. They cannot afford to miss even a single day. They need to rely on the income earned during the sugarcane season to support themselves for the rest of the year. On the field, they are at the mercy of contractors, enduring long hours for minimal pay.
Additionally, there is a system of fines in place. It forces the workers to work consistently. When they work for a day, they earn around INR 250–300. But if they miss a day, they have to pay a fine called ‘khada’. Unfortunately, it can be as much as INR 500–1,000. It shows that the fine is much higher than what the sugarcane cutters earn in a day.
The silent suffering of women sugarcane workers
The strenuous task of lifting large quantities of sugarcane and stacking them into transport vehicles. It causes physical strain and can result in medical emergencies for women. They typically live in makeshift huts without proper toilets, drinking water, or basic sanitation facilities.
A Ministry of Health and Family Welfare study on menstrual hygiene discovered that only 52.4% of women aged 15–24 living in rural areas of Maharashtra, with no prior schooling, had access to hygienic methods of menstrual care. The inadequate hygiene and sanitation standards contribute to their medical problems. Women also have to spend additional time performing household chores such as cooking, fetching clean water from distant wells, and looking after the children.
While men can simply walk to the nearest pond to bathe, women face different challenges. Early in the morning, when it is still dark, they venture into dense sugarcane fields, their only opportunity and location to tend to their personal needs. There are occasions when women go without bathing for weeks.
Many women resort to tearing a piece of cloth from their petticoats to create makeshift pads or diapers. Often, they must endure two to three days without changing these makeshift hygiene products, leading to frequent urinary and vaginal infections among women cutters.
The story behind needless hysterectomies
Many female sugarcane cutters in Beed undergo hysterectomies. It is the surgical removal of the uterus. Working continuously in sugarcane fields, even during menstruation, puts these women at risk of infection. Some cane-cutting contractors are reluctant to hire women who are menstruating. As a result, there has been a significant increase in hysterectomy operations in Beed.
Source: General and reproductive health issues of female sugarcane cutters from the Beed district
Women workers are unable to take breaks from work, even during menstruation. Hence, many resort to undergoing hysterectomies to avoid bleeding on the field and unplanned pregnancies. However, unqualified quacks or midwives often perform these procedures. Again, there is a lack of trained professionals available to provide proper care.
Exposure to toxic pesticides and prolonged, unsafe working conditions can lead to diseases such as fibroids, which may necessitate hysterectomies. However, there are concerns that some of these surgeries may have been performed unnecessarily by private hospitals for financial gain. Without conducting thorough examinations, doctors in private hospitals recommend hysterectomies. However, it can cost at least Rs 35,000. They instil fear in these women by warning them of potential tumour and cancer development.
A hysterectomy can lead to hormonal imbalances. It may, in turn, trigger depression and anxiety, in addition to physical side effects. The severity of ailments resulting from a hysterectomy can vary from case to case. Some women experience severe effects, while others may not have any symptoms at all.
The problems of child marriage and trafficking
Due to hysterectomies occurring at a very young age, typically around 23–25, the children of these women are also married off early. They also receive inadequate education. They are married off early so that the Mukadams can subsequently employ them for the same work as their parents. Young girls often start working as sugarcane cutters with their parents from the age of 7, and they are frequently married off by the age of 12. After marriage, they continue the same work, now alongside their husband and in-laws.
Child marriage is illegal in India and is recognised internationally as a violation of human rights. However, in Beed, young girls are coerced into illegal child marriages, where approximately 1,000 children and women suffer trafficking every year. Additionally, when victims of such marriages run away, they often fall into the trap of human trafficking.
Truth of women sugarcane cutters: Summing up
A hysterectomy is usually a last resort for conditions like cancer, uterine prolapse, or fibroids. However, for many women sugar cutter labourers, it becomes their only option. Hysterectomies allow them to keep working without the challenges of menstruation or lack of basic sanitation facilities. Women sugar cutters often believe that undergoing surgery will enable them to work more efficiently.
These women endure significant hardships and labour tirelessly. However, things could be different. Emphasising the importance of health check-ups for every woman sugarcane worker could make a substantial difference.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content, which we define broadly to include media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and gender-queer individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
