For Ajima Bibi, March 8 is just another day. She will wake up at 4 am, perform namaz, cook and clean, and by 6.30, go to the residential society where she works as a house help. Women’s Day means little to her: “What is it? Us din hame chutti milegi (will we get off that day)?” For 12-hour work days, seven days a week at four houses, she gets Rs 12,000 a month.“If my husband had a better paying job, I would not want to do this back-breaking work,” said Ajima. The origins of Women’s Day date back to 1908, when 15,000 women, like Ajima, protested through New York City for shorter working hours, better pay, voting rights and other demands. More than a century later, most demands remain. Anita, an anganwadi helper who was terminated, allegedly for protesting and demanding better wages, recalled: “Last year, we had a major protest on March 8. This year, we are staging a protest on March 10. I am thinking about my livelihood more than anything now, but we will keep fighting.” The 32-year-old single mother had been working as a helper for 15 years when she was terminated via a letter on WhatsApp, later sent by post, that read, “. (Anita) was reported to have been continuously absenting from duties and also admitted to being an active participant in the strike, agitation and dharna. services have been hereby terminated with immediate effect.” She started working in 2007 for Rs 750, which was Rs 4,839 the last time it was credited to her bank account, in January 2022. India is not one of the 27 countries that have adopted International Women’s Day as a national holiday. “Mahilaon ke liye ek din hai?” asks Sunita (44), who works at a desk stationed near the Metro toilets, collecting a fee to avail of public services. She works 12 hours a day and earns Rs 5,500. “I am a single mother. My husband left when I was around 24. Many people are in such situations, so they have to do such work.” Sushma from Sikkim came to Delhi a year ago and works at an eatery at Greater Kailash, earning Rs 11,000 a month. And while March 8 is “just another day” for her, it holds greater significance for Shabana Khan (47), a jewellery store employee. “We cannot celebrate because of work but if we had a day off, I would want to go out with my kids and grandkids, eat out and have a good time,” Khan said. Aakriti, a research scholar doing a PhD on the informal sector, said the day has become a performative stunt for HR departments at organisaions. “Men decide how Women’s Day should be celebrated. In any workplace, formal or informal, the head of the institution is mostly a man. While women are portrayed as goddesses and empowered, all positions of authority are helmed by men,” Aakriti said.
