Whether it is putting off an urgent surgery or making do with 250 gm of fish for her family of four once a month, Lakhya Hira Phukon, like most other poorly-paid ASHA workers, has to balance her domestic budget with extreme care

Schemes aimed at women did not get the big push they needed, we find

The relentless cycle of field and paperwork is affecting their mental health, leaving them prone to errors

There is state pressure to dissuade frontline health workers from fighting for political office even though they are still hired as ‘honorary volunteers’

The Madhya Pradesh government is going all out to woo women with special schemes. But how do the women see this outreach, we ask

After a 73-day protest, Haryana’s ASHA workers were able to negotiate for themselves a Rs 2,100 hike in their honorarium. But the union is determined to continue the movement for those working in other states too.

The frontline health workers have called for a 24-hour strike outside district offices and homes of political leaders

Experts argue that linking digital identities to sensitive health services not only restricts access to reproductive healthcare but also infringes on women’s privacy rights, especially for marginalized groups.

In Gujarat, ASHA workers are being trained to detect and address domestic violence in rural communities. Through early detection and referrals to support systems, these women are crucial in providing support for survivors of abuse.

The Mitanins that BehanBox spoke to have either received no or partial payments since January 2020. Worse, in districts where the women received some money, the state has been recovering part of the compensation paid to them.

ASHA workers in Kashmir have been instrumental in countering misinformation and addressing vaccine hesitancy. But chronic delays in honorariums have forced many into debt and financial instability.

When ASHAs demanded better pay, protective gear and fixed tenures, Haryana and Delhi filed police cases and Madhya Pradesh threatened dismissal. We chronicle the criminalisation of their dissent.

Our 16-state survey found that in Kerala, women health workers at the frontlines of India’s resistance to Covid-19 feel empowered and respected. Yet, their demands of being treated as a regularised workforce are ignored.

In this three-part series, we look at the crucial work of India’s ASHAs, and their fight for recognition as they face delayed payments, meager wages, and growing workloads during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Without them, it would be impossible to track, test and monitor Covid-19 patients across India’s villages and cities. But over a million women health workers must now work with minimal protection, frequent abuse and attacks.

Tribal women in Rajasthan’s Ujala Samooh, including ASHA workers, lead efforts to dispel COVID-19 myths, ensure healthcare access, and advocate for welfare in rural India.

Despite limited resources and social resistance, Sidhamallamma Kanchappa, a panchayat leader from Tamil Nadu, has become a champion for women’s health.