Accredited social health activists (ASHAs) is community health workers instituted by the government of India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The mission began in 2005.......
August 12th, 2023 marked a historic victory for striking ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) in Bihar with the state government agreeing to increase the monthly payment by Rs. 1,500 per month and providing the payment as ‘honorarium’, instead of ‘reward’ (paritoshik).
- by Shashi Yadav, Saroj Chaubey, Atul Dighe, Geeta Mandal, Vijay Vidrohi and Mahendra Parida
“Our Unity And Struggle Gives us the Dignity as Workers!”
When the ASHA workers of Uttar Pradesh tried to submit their memorandum of demands to the CM Yogi Adityanath when he came for a program in Shahjahanpur on 9th November, the police not only stopped them from submitting the memorandum, but also brutally attacked them. One of the ASHA workers, Punam Pandey’s hand was broken, was stamped under the boot and was also attacked in the genitals. After physically assaulting the workers, the police filed cases against ASHA workers themselves.
ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers are part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) launched in 2005 to provide rural areas access to better healthcare facilities. ASHA workers form the backbone of this scheme. The scheme was initially designed to make sure that there is ‘doorstep delivery’ of health services to rural communities, and ASHA workers became the veritable foot soldiers of this scheme. The burden of reaching the homes of people in rural areas fell on the shoulders of ASHA workers.
(An abridged version of a more detailed report to be released soon)
AICCTU Affiliated Unions Played a Pivotal Role in Several States
Wake up Modi-Kejriwal! Stop exploiting ASHA workers in the name of 'Sewa'!
ASHA workers demand permanent job, fixed salary and social dignity!
The first state conference of Dilli ASHA kamgar Union successfully concluded on 8th August at N.D Tiwari Bhawan, ITO, Delhi. The conference began with paying tribute to all ASHA workers who succumbed to COVID-19, farmers who died in the protest, and the 9-year old Dalit rape victim in Delhi Cantonment area.
As an encouraging development for the struggle of ASHA workers in Uttarakhand state, the ASHA unions led by AICCTU and CITU, major unions in the state, have given a joint call for a prolonged struggle.
As a part of an all-India campaign “In Memory of Loved Ones: Count Every Death, Share Every Loss”, jointly organized by intellectuals and social activists across the country, various sections of workers, including scheme workers, railway employees, sanitation and municipal workers and other unorganised and organised sections honoured the memory of people who died during the Covid period by lighting candles and remembering every death.