Advertising
Supported by
Indebted workers, faced with brutal operating conditions, are forced to undergo a hysterectomy to treat their usual illnesses. Sugar factories are not satisfied with any responsibility.
By Megha Rajagopalan
Women who cut sugar cane in the Indian state of Maharashtra go through unnecessary hysterectomies, to keep working, without distractions with periods, pregnancies or gynecological exams.
My colleagues and I drove through the impoverished community of Beed, which is home to many immigrants in the sugarcane sector. We visited small villages and met in their homes. We talk to their employers, visit candy stores, interview doctors, and review medical records. .
What we discovered is a brutal labor formula that exploits children, encourages child marriage, helps keep families in debt to their employers, and causes women to feel like they still have no choice but to undergo a hysterectomy.
We interviewed women who cut sugarcane for corporations that source national brands, including Coca-Cola and a PepsiCo core franchisee, which have helped make the state a major powerhouse for sugar, one of India’s top industries.
Some women have resorted to surgery to prevent menstruation in the camps, where staff sleep under tarps without running water or toilets. Menstrual pads are expensive and hard to find, and there’s nowhere to get rid of them. Women treat their periods with a cloth that they wash by hand.
We are retrieving the content of the article.
Please allow javascript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access. If you’re in Reader mode, log out and log in to your Times account or subscribe to the full Times.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Want all the Times? Subscribe.
Advertising