Mason Women in a village near Udaipur, Rajasthan
India is a land of extreme inequalities where a new rich class lives well ahead in time in respect to the poorer population, which is still a great silent majority. Sometimes they share the same physical space, but are connected within a logic of exploitation of labourers without any humanitarian care. It is not uncommon that the same local government, which should protect the rights of the poor, is the one that exploits people from poor villages or lower classes by making them work on jobs that are related to public services, otherwise too expensive, such as cleaning the streets. So is in the villages of Hawala too, a few kilometres away from the most sumptuous residences of Udaipur. Here women, children and elderly do heavy work as bricklayers. These are underpaid odd works, and not at all guaranteed. If the government or a private enterprise, as in this case, has to build something, then they agree with the village chief so the community organizes itself. All villagers work, regardless of gender or age. Women are equal to men when employed in heavy and strenuous labour, but they also have to accomplish all the other matters such as child care and housing. Often these are young girls, who are already married at very early age. Women and children of the preindustrial villages are workers who have no qualifications nor education, that means they are easier to be exploited and poorly paid. Unlikely the law will ever stop this. India indeed has the world record for employment of minors. According to estimates of the International Labour Organisation here concentrates the largest number of workers between the ages of 4 and 14 years, about 44 millions according to their data, “only” 17 million, according to the Indian government. Furthermore in the villages community survives in a limbo far away from modern society. They are organized in a collective manner and the work is done by all members, regardless of sex or age.
Size: 3305px × 2203px
Location: Hawala villages, Udaipur (Rajasthan)
Photo credit: © Marco Palladino / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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