Dr. Priyanka Saurabh
Women’s empowerment, nutrition, and health in India’s rural society depend heavily on ASHA and Anganwadi workers. These are the women who go door-to-door to administer vaccinations, detect malnutrition in children, assist pregnant women in safe deliveries, and play a crucial role in reducing maternal and infant mortality. During pandemics like COVID-19, they served as frontline warriors. Yet today, many of them are on the streets—protesting at places such as Sealdah Railway Station in West Bengal and Fountain Chowk in Karnataka—asking a simple question: will the women who care for the nation’s health not be recognised as workers?
The demands of ASHA and Anganwadi workers are not extraordinary. They seek minimum wages, pensions, gratuity, Class-III employee status, and social security. Yet governments continue to deny them formal labour rights, describing them instead as “volunteers” or “project workers.” Nationwide strikes from December 2025 to January 2026 have become a public expression of this long-standing neglect.
The Anganwadi Scheme was launched in 1975 under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and the ASHA programme in 2005 under the National Health Mission. Their objective was to strengthen rural health and nutrition systems through the participation of local women. Initially, a voluntary model was adopted to limit government expenditure. In reality, however, these women function as full-time workers. An ASHA worker caters to around 1,000 people, while Anganwadi workers care for about 40 children and pregnant women, distribute nutrition, and maintain extensive records.
In 2006, the Supreme Court observed that they were not government employees because they did not hold statutory posts, a position that many activists argue has since been overtaken by changing realities. A 2022 ruling granted Anganwadi workers the right to gratuity under the ICDS Act, 2013. In 2024, the Gujarat High Court recognised them as state employees on the principle of equality, while the Calcutta High Court directed authorities to consider the issue of promotion. Despite these developments, central and state policies remain inconsistent and uncertain.
The practice of paying honorariums remains deeply problematic. ASHA workers receive between ₹3,500 and ₹6,000 a month, largely incentive-based. In Karnataka, the honorarium is fixed at ₹6,000 but is reportedly paid eight to nine months late. Anganwadi supervisors earn around ₹15,000 on average. There are no assured holidays, no transport allowance, and inadequate personal protective equipment. Maternity leave is limited, while workloads continue to rise.
Because they are classified as volunteers, these workers fall outside the ambit of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, and the four new labour codes. The 45th Indian Labour Conference’s recommendation of a ₹26,000 minimum wage remains unimplemented. There are no comprehensive social-security provisions such as EPF or ESI. Demands for increasing retirement pensions by ₹1,200 have persisted for years without resolution. The e-Shram card, meanwhile, functions largely as a data-collection tool rather than a gateway to benefits.
Ironically, women who play a decisive role in reducing malnutrition and infant mortality remain vulnerable themselves. According to NFHS-5, 35 per cent of Indian children are stunted, and the infant-mortality rate stands at 28 per thousand. ASHA and Anganwadi workers have contributed significantly to improvements in these indicators. More than 500 workers reportedly lost their lives during COVID-19; although compensation was announced, payments were often delayed. Mental stress, expanding workloads, and vacancy rates of nearly 20 per cent in states such as Haryana further aggravate the crisis.
The issue has received political attention. Sonia Gandhi raised it in the Rajya Sabha on December 16, 2025. Budget 2026 offered some indications of reform, but no binding decisions followed. Unions have warned that further agitations will occur if concrete action is not taken.
Solutions must be structural rather than cosmetic. Scheme workers should be granted employee status through labour laws, along with a minimum wage of ₹26,000, a pension of ₹10,000, and mandatory EPF coverage. The Centre should bear at least 50 per cent of the honorarium, while states must fill vacant posts without delay. Provisions for overtime, maternity leave, permanent workplaces, online training, and recognition of trade unions are essential. Accountability must be ensured at the grassroots level through Panchayati Raj institutions.
ASHA and Anganwadi workers are not peripheral to government programmes; they are the backbone of India’s public-health system. Drawing a distinction between “volunteering” and “working” in their case amounts to a grave injustice. In the 77th year of the Republic, when India aspires to global leadership, recognising these women is not merely a policy choice—it is a constitutional question of morality.
These protests send a clear message: justice delayed invites unrest. If the Republic is to be strengthened, these women must be accorded dignity, security, and rights. Justice may be postponed, but it cannot be denied forever.
