In Maharashtra’s Beed district, a disturbing practice continues where female sugar-cane workers are being pushed into undergoing hysterectomies to avoid menstrual and pregnancy-related work interruptions.

Earning less than £4 a day, these women face harsh penalties for missing work, leaving them with little choice but to opt for costly surgeries in hopes of maintaining steady employment.

In 2019, a shocking 36% of surveyed women reported having undergone hysterectomies, compared to the national average of 3%. Although recent government data records 115 such procedures over 17 months, officials claim these were medically justified.

However, growing public outrage has forced action, with Maharashtra’s health minister announcing the formation of district-level vigilance cells to monitor hospitals and prevent unnecessary surgeries.

The Prime Minister’s office and the state health department have also stepped in, but activists stress that without strict enforcement and systemic reforms, vulnerable women will continue to suffer exploitation.