Criminal Justice Fellowship Programme

Anima Muyarath | Oct 2016 | When women fight for the right to pee | Times of India

In: News

Himanshi Dhawan| TNN | Oct 2, 2016, 12.00 AM IST

It is dark by the time 42-year-old Pushpa Jha (name changed on request) leaves for her home in New Delhi's Aya Nagar after work. Her feet ache from hours of standing as she turns out trendy Gap or JCPenney tees that will be sold in a tony South Delhi mall. Far from the glitz, on the Delhi-Gurgaon border Pushpa has been on her feet doing a 12-hour shift with just two quick breaks to relieve herself and grab a drink of water. The supervisor had begun grumbling when she took more than a minute to return to her sewing machine.

"This happens every day," says Pushpa. "We have to ask for permission before we go to the bathroom. The targets we have to meet in a day are impossible so if we take a minute more, the supervisor starts shouting and abusing." Pushpa has to complete 200 pieces of tops or dresses, sometimes even 400 depending on deadlines. Besides a half-hour break for lunch and 15 minutes for tea, she has to be on the factory floor all the time.

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