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India’s all-women frontline defence against COVID-19 fight for fair pay

These healthcare workers have been a lifeline for rural communities in the pandemic. Now they’re demanding better pay and working conditions

India’s all-women frontline defence against COVID-19 fight for fair pay
ASHA workers protesting over pay in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, June 2021 | Majority World CIC / Alamy Stock Photo. All rights reserved
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This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on Gal Dem

Gouri Hazra Dey begins her working day at 9am. Usually, she won’t return to her small home, in Bhatar, a village in West Bengal, until 10pm. Right now, her main focus is vaccination duty; she might be tackling vaccine hesitancy, registering people for their jab, conducting surveys and verifying the identification card numbers of people admitted to hospital.