Disturbing yet shocking news was reported from Beed, Maharashtra reveals something beyond imagination. A hefty amount of women in the district village have no uteruses. These women are laborers and mostly they are cane cutters. They have said to have undergone hysterectomies (A surgical operation to remove all or part of the uterus) for a reason.
The fear of losing out on job opportunity has made them take this hard step of undergoing such surgery. A report reveals that the contractors do not prefer women laborers because they menstruate. So a lot of women have to undergo surgery so as to avoid hindrance of periods.
Women are forced to choose between their income and health and that’s the reason the villages in the district have been turned “Wombless”
As per the report, women in Vanjarwadi village of Beed it has become a norm to undergo hysterectomy for work. Fifty percent of the women in the district does not have a womb. After giving birth to two or three children, they voluntarily remove the uterus to find work.
The women told a news portal that the contractor insists on hiring women without wombs in his group of cane cutters. The reason is that periods can become a “hindrance” and it is difficult for them to keep women off work for a few days. The contracts are drawn in such a way that taking breaks can invite a hefty fine of Rs 500 per day.
The contractors generally hire couples who mutually undertake the contract. For most of these laborers, work doesn’t come easily for the rest of the year. So missing even a day’s work can cost them a lot.
The report also states that the contractor themselves pay for the hysterectomies and then eventually recover the cost of surgery from their wages.
Contractors justify themselves by saying that cane-cutting has to be completed in a limited given time. They also say that the hysterectomies are not forced upon the women and they willingly undergo the procedure. But the truth is even if the procedure is conducted willingly, the female laborers have no choice as they need work to earn a living.
Female cane-cutters reveal the ordeal they have to undergo to find work. Many of them work harsh conditions, sexually exploited by the contractors and by their own husbands. Many of the work sites don’t have bathrooms where women can clean themselves during the periods and this yet another reason why hysterectomy makes a lot of sense for the women laborers.
For those unaware, hysterectomy is surgical removal of the uterus for medical purposes is known as a hysterectomy. It is recommended as a treatment method for problems such as fibroids, cancers, prolapse, endometriosis, and chronic pelvic pain.
Women suffer from mood swings, hot flashes, cardiac problems, bladder problems and sexual dysfunction following a hysterectomy. Mental issues such as depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety also become common after the removal of the uterus.
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