How Removing Their Wombs Help These Women Earn Their Living | Politics of Sex

Women in Beed, an impoverished, drought-hit district in the western Indian state of Maharashtra are resorting to getting their uterus removed. Married off at an early age, these women have become a part of the unorganised labour economy, earning as little as 3 dollars after working for 18 hours in sugarcane fields every day, seven days in a week. The fields lack access to basic amenities and this often leads to infections that go untreated for years. When these women seek medical assistance, they are told that a hysterectomy is their only way out. In order to pay for these surgeries they take loans and then end up spending years paying off their debt. In this episode of Politics of Sex, VICE meets some of these women along with social activist Manisha Tokle to figure out how this cycle is trapping them and how medical malpractice is a factor in it as well.
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[@arnavnair9628]

This is especially true. I live in Maharashtra and travel to my village every other month to visit my grandparents and it has 2 sugarcane factories nearby so almost every farm within a 40-50 km radius cultivates sugarcane in the sugarcane season. During the cutting season families all over the state travel to the farms as labour to cut sugarcane. The literally live in small tents with 3 or 4 occupants each and spend the entire day cutting sugarcane. The actually have no toilet facilities and access to electricity. They almost every time use a campfire or kerosene stoves to cook food, etc. Just saying what I have seen

[@shailendrayadav3601]

Thanks for sharing this experience sometimes we can't find everything on TV's

[@arnavnair9628]

@@shailendrayadav3601 That's true. We don't find things happening at the grassroot level, only big headlines that look good

[@arnavnair9628]

Yup, exactly the same way no will care when you die :)

[@anshikasharma7905]

@Sex Pun oh no who cares about your opinion.

[@om-nj2hw]

This is allowed to happen because these women are seen as nothing; their only worth is what others can get out of them. Those in power see no personal benefit to helping them, they are gaining so much profit from the way things are. It is an evil world we live in when those in power see those with out as just a means to their own gain. I hope the women have success with organizing, but it's also going to take the surrounding people to care enough to support them.

[@nanihaniah8520]

Hereafter judgement only can justify anyone

[@mr.vishalbharat512]

The way they r sharing their Stories with a smile , really breaks my heart 💔

[@socialistsolidarity]

😞

[@noodlelicious.]

It's called modern slavery. Call it as it is. Don't go around the bush.

[@genericexcuse7803]

Thats capitalism in general. Modern slavery.

[@feminico2613]

Do you mean don't beat around the bush

[@aishwaryasaahu]

This is the greatest work she is on, great respect to her and i pray she succeeds.

[@tomaccino]

I spent a few years in Cambodia and when I had gallbladder stones I heard a variety of doctor's opinions, from western-educated khmer doctors telling me they will do a full cut to western doctors saying only a few keyhole incisions are needed. The worst option was a chinese doctor who not only didn't speak english despite being "educated" but didn't even look at me (the patient) during consultation. He sat like the king in his office and only listened to an assistant translating... Eventually I had laparoscopy done in Slovenia with utmost care and professionalism and I healed up nicely, there is no scaremongering and a real doctor will explain you in detail why is it that you need the surgery. My case actually wasn't serious but I couldn't workout after a meal without pain, so I CHOSE to do surgery anyway. Now I can see just how bad is the health care that these women receive. Things won't change overnight but that woman is making history in indian health care by pushing for better oversight and standards!

[@MFZBitch]

This is horrible. Whats especially weird to me is that here in Germany my fiancée was denied getting her womb removed (she has horrible endo and already had surgery, which achieved nothing. Also she doesnt want biological kids, if anything only adoption), because people tell her "she is to young to make that decicion" (she is 22) and that its just a normal thing that can come with being an adult women ...

[@Roachh2877]

What?

[@ebrumphilius5041]

I'm in the same situation as her (still trying to get that surgery). It's so crazy how doctors are so unwilling to remove your womb when you're white and from a rich country. They will always ask you something in return, like "have 3 kids and maybe we'll consider giving you access to that surgery". But when it's about poor population they are so much less regarding and remove it without asking questions. In both cases woman aren't in control of their bodies.

[@nickybrooks6942]

This is so wrong ! I had a hysterectomy 15 years ago here in the UK and had to fight to get that despite having 4 children and bleeding heavily constantly for over a year . When I eventually was allowed my Hysterectomy they found that I had Fibroids but I also had pre cancerous cells that had spread from a previous diagnosis off cervical cancer . Maybe giving these women better health care and options for contraception is the better way to look after their sexual health !

[@faizalsalim1194]

Before we strive to become a 5 trillion dollar economy. we have to uplift people from extreme poverty.

[@rainfall1653]

It so painful being a woman in this grotesque world 😩

[@rolanddcruz1865]

I salute Manisha Tokle for her yeoman service to the nation and womanhood. Thank you for covering such an important issue creating awarness how modern Slavery operates even today.

[@maxcovfefe]

I can't watch this entire video, it's too painful. I wish videos like this would start with the problem, and very quickly get to the part about solutions. I'm over halfway in, and there's still no talk about any way to solve this. It's just, "here's a problem that exists," and I'm helpless to make it better.

[@awezsayyad8055]

First the tribute to the work of Activist Lady. And then tribute to the work of Vice.

[@sameerrocks3693]

The pain behind their laugh is shattering my heart man 💔 6:26

[@nesichanonor8174]

I’m already pissed

[@salmanshaikh-zu3xk]

This seems to be the end of humanity and world bruh 😔

[@babla69420]

@@salmanshaikh-zu3xk good

[@Pou1gie1]

This labor system is akin to sharecropping or indentured servitude

[@cryptogenie01]

That's so sad India should work out for woman rights

[@ninana143]

I work for the government on an island which is just above a "3rd world" country. And there are some places at work that don't have a toilet for me to use. It is a way to keep woman from working or from working at certain places.

[@makkxim2789]

Thank you for this informative video

[@imhemanthreddy4847]

as far i know, in any farm the work can be functioned from sunrise to sunset. so how can these workers can be made to work for 18 hours a day in the sugarcane farm?

[@babla69420]

Are u from south india?

[@imhemanthreddy4847]

@@babla69420 yes.

[@babla69420]

@@imhemanthreddy4847 why

[@imhemanthreddy4847]

@@babla69420 I didn't get u ?

[@babla69420]

@@imhemanthreddy4847 i know

[@onetwothree1715]

Only poor and weak are exploited.They have no one and nobody sees this .the one who raise their voice doesn’t seem to get support either.

[@Neel....2198]

HATS OFF to the lady....🙏🙏🙏

[@massive_d]

In light of recent events I have started to really hate doctors

[@chandshaikh555]

wdym

[@noone-bd8xg]

Me too

[@safaa9654]

"vaginal discharge" wow...

[@shubhamnegi4609]

Great work ma'am !

[@cakapcakep241]

This is a modern day eunuch(slave which has their reproductive organ removed). 😥

[@andreaross3283]

Dayum! Ruthless ppl in this world 🌎

[@AJ-oy5iv]

This is similar to sharecropping in the US. That is basically slavery.

[@boombot934]

Horror movie of a real life

[@vikramrawat10]

Hope someone does something about this😢

[@RareandRadiant]

If anybody knows this lady please share the contact details. Or village name or the organisation name which is helping. I would like to help through whichever way I can

[@94.darshanugalepatil51]

Doctors are conning them and moreover labourers are labourers in Maharashtra we don't discriminate them as dalits.... atleast not in my region

[@makslargu5799]

Do you need to? Caste is still one of the biggest determiners of profession, you don’t need to explicitly call labourers Dalit when the majority of Dalit have jobs as labourers. It’s not like there are large communities of Brahmin working as labourers…

[@94.darshanugalepatil51]

@@makslargu5799 I gave my opinion and I disagree with you labourers can be of any caste some who worked on our farm were marathas . I am also one of them we now fell under OBC as we have been allotted reservation under OBC . There were some lower Caste too like ST SC but I don't think they were discriminated what I wanted to say is there's inequality everywhere in each caste n Creed any one caste can't cling to the inequality card Everytime Regarding brahmins they are not even close to what they were in pre independence era I agree finding a Brahmin labourer will hard and if you find one and put him to work I don't mind

[@snowdog03]

The little kids making mud bricks all day instead of attending school have it worse.

[@kamaljhamat6620]

This is so so horrible... Being a woman is the biggest curse in India... shame shame shame

[@shubhamjadhav7113]

18 hrs a day (seriously)🤔

[@dudekennyboymakes]

Sad

[@jashansogi2641]

Can’t wait for the video!

[@dreimalnein22]

let's problematise the same happening to women who currently identify as transmen.

[@Omkar67890]

लोकनेत्या पंकजा मुंडे काय करत आहेत वाघिण

[@userxxx-sl7mr]

Modern slavery

[@abhishekkumartripathi5420]

😥😥😥

[@Jcoke2201]

hysterectomy causes menopause? WOW

[@asrasr8206]

Islamkuran😡👍🐽

[@DrStrange234]

What !!! Video is from india lol Clean your ears and eyes & watch again

[@newshortvideo7640]

Wow so nice 🔥🥰

[@achmed6679]

Super power 2020

[@KingKing-tz6of]

Superpower 😂

[@spiral1241]

Hail manusmriti hail brahminism jai shri ram

[@badlad2001]

Kuch bhi

[@babla69420]

Lol, how do they pee then?

[@nousheenkhan5369]

Are you serious?

[@babla69420]

@@nousheenkhan5369 ...haha no, i was jk lol, i know a lot about uterus

[@viteronneg7295]

@@babla69420that's dark man..

[@babla69420]

@@viteronneg7295 the uterus?

[@heinrichhimmler3781]

Poor endia ,Garbage land