SRINAGAR: "If we went on strike for just a week, the entire rural health system would collapse," says Mehmooda, an Anganwadi worker with 20 years of service. Her day begins before dawn, preparing for the children and mothers, who make a beeline for the Anganwadi Centre in Chatloora, Rafiabad in Baramulla district.
For the entire day, the small single-room centre serves as a classroom, health clinic, and community hub. She weighs each child, meticulously recording their measurements in one of her registers. The malnourished ones receive special attention and rations. This is often followed by home visits later.
"The mothers start coming with their questions," Mehmooda explains while distributing nutritional supplements. "I give advice about breastfeeding, child's vaccination,” she says, giving details of her daily schedule that involves multi-tasking and juggling various things at breakneck speed.
The chores are never ending. Between serving meals and teaching preschool lessons, she fills out endless paperwork. "I carry these thirteen plus registers that I maintain, and that consumes my evenings," she says with a sigh, as she points to the stack of records documenting everything from childbirth to immunization schedules and nutritional record.
Not all the women and children visit regularly, she reveals. "So, my job includes going door to door, checking on pregnant women and newborns in the village. During government campaigns, we're the ones who conduct surveys, distribute information, and convince reluctant families about vaccinations."
Too Many Tasks, Too Little Pay
Established in 1975 under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) program, Anganwadi centres provide nutrition support, preschool education, maternal care, and immunization. These women track malnourished children, assist pregnant mothers, and even conduct government surveys, yet they are treated as volunteers, not employees.
"From surveys to health care we do everything, like maintaining more than a dozen registers on health and nutrition data. What do we get in return?" Mehmooda asks, a tale of neglect and injustice hanging heavily in that question.
Her honorarium barely covers her basic needs, with no benefits or job security despite being the foundation of rural healthcare.
Listen to the story of any Anganwadi worker and it sounds the same. They operate like unstoppable superwomen who rarely get time to breathe.
Underpaid, overworked, and unrecognized, thousands of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) across Kashmir silently hold up the foundation of rural healthcare, child nutrition, and maternal welfare.
“Paid ₹5,100 a month, sometimes delayed for months, are overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. The government must recognize our contributions and ensure fair wages,” says Mehmooda, half in desperation and half in resignation.
For decades, Anganwadi Workers have fought for fair wages, job security, and dignity, yet their demands continue to fall on deaf ears. Their struggles extend beyond financial hardship; they battle delayed salaries, excessive workloads, and lack of basic benefits like pensions and promotions. Many retire without any financial security, left to fend for themselves after dedicating their lives to public service.
For helpers like Misra Begum, the situation is even worse. After 15 years of service, her salary stands at a shocking ₹2,500 per month “How can I feed my family? Every day is a struggle, and the government refuses to acknowledge us.”
"In today's expensive era, surviving on low pay is nearly impossible," she adds. "Prices of essential goods have skyrocketed – a five-kilo box of oil now costs ₹1,000 so how can we possibly manage with such a meager income? Our families' needs are not being met at all, and we are left to suffer,” she says, feeling betrayed.
‘Endless Struggle, No Recognition’
Anganwadi Workers are not just childcare providers; they are frontline warriors during health crises, organizing vaccination drives, maintaining medical records, and assisting in emergencies. Yet, instead of appreciation, they face constant scrutiny and criticism.
Shahina, another Anganwadi worker in the neighbouring village Dangiwacha, describes the injustice of their workload: the meager wages and overwhelming workload, calling it "a life of endless struggle with no recognition."
"We work tirelessly, attending duty every day, tracked by geo-tagging and biometric verification, yet a meagre sum of ₹5,100 a month doesn’t even cover our basic survival," she said.
She highlighted the burdensome bureaucratic hurdles Anganwadi workers face, particularly in government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). Launched as the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana in 2010, and later renamed in 2017, the PMMVY is a maternity benefit program implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
"We fill out forms repeatedly, sometimes even paying out of our own pockets, yet instead of appreciation, we are met with criticism from both the government and the public," she said.
"Our workload justifies a salary of at least ₹30,000…… We receive only a fraction of that. Even ₹15,000 would show some recognition of our efforts. But the truth is, we are always overlooked, and no one seems to care how we survive," Shahina says.
Anganwadi union leader Shameema highlights systemic neglect, citing outdated seniority lists and lack of promotions. In some regions, records from 1998 remain unchanged, denying workers any career progression.
She also raises the issue of lack of pensions as a major concern: "When an Anganwadi worker retires, she is sent home empty-handed. No pension, no benefits. It’s a grave injustice.”
Some are meagerly compensated for the rent they receive. When Anganwadi workers or helpers utilize their premises for the centre, they may receive a nominal rent, though the exact amount varies by region and availability of funds.
Each centre is designed to cater to approximately 40 children, but this number can fluctuate based on local demographics and specific community needs, she added.
Anganwadi helpers, are engaged based on the centre's requirements, considering factors like the number of children, the geographical area covered, and the distance between the centres. Typically, each centre has one helper to assist the Anganwadi worker in daily activities.
A declining population growth rate in Jammu and Kashmir could lead to a reduced number of eligible beneficiaries, potentially resulting in the consolidation of centres or adjustments in resource allocation. However, the specific impact would depend on detailed demographic analyses and policy decisions by the authorities, officials say.
Officials Plead Helplessness
Reyaz Ahmad Wani, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Rafiabad Baramulla, acknowledged the financial struggles of Anganwadi workers but adds that "their honorarium is fixed, and our voice holds little weight in changing it."
An Anganwadi centre is typically established in areas with a population of 400-800, with priority given to regions inhabited by underprivileged communities. Anganwadi workers are considered honorary workers receiving a fixed honorarium, the CDPO says.
While refraining from commenting on their hardships, he empathises with their plight. "In my personal opinion, the government should provide at least ₹300 per day as compensation," he says. However, he notes that salary delays are common and that "workers must rely on their unions to raise these concerns, as we have no authority to push for change."
Dr Javaid Rashid from Social Work Department, Professor in University of Kashmir emphasized on the urgent need to address the plight of Anganwadi workers in Kashmir, calling it a "pressing concern that demands immediate government attention."
"These workers are the backbone of our school nutrition and healthcare system, yet they remain underpaid and overworked,” he admits and adds that this neglect not only pushes them into poverty but also compromises essential services for children and mothers.
He stresses upon the need for "fair wages, standardized employment policies, and structured training programs to ensure their permanent induction into the system." Without substantial government investment, he warns, "we risk not only failing these workers but also jeopardizing the health and future of an entire generation. Children make up nearly 40% of our population investing in their well-being should be a national priority."
What further aggravates the situation for Anganwadi workers is that Jammu and Kashmir budgetary allocation for the ICDS scheme has seen fluctuations over the past decade. For instance, in the fiscal year 2011-12, the allocation was approximately ₹10,000 crore, which increased to around ₹16,000 crore in 2017-18. However, there have been concerns about stagnation or reductions in allocations in subsequent years.
Survival a Daily Battle
For many workers, survival is a daily battle. Fareeda, a single mother, breaks down as she explains her meager salary as an Anganwadi worker, while ensuring her child gets an education. “Some days, it feels like even breathing depends on this pay,” she says.
“When our salaries are delayed for months, only Allah knows how I manage to feed my child. There were times I couldn’t afford his school fees, and his education suffered because of it. We are pleading with the government recognize our struggle and give us wages that reflect the work we do. We deserve better, and our children deserve a future free from this constant hardship.”
Their demand is simple fair wages, job security, and dignity. Even as the Anganwadi workers continue to agitate for better salaries commiserate to their work and many officials and experts opine that if the Anganwadi workers continue to be ignored, the very foundation of rural healthcare will collapse, the government response remains absent.
Mehmooda sums up the irony of their plight. "Stronger Anganwadi workers mean a stronger Kashmir. But the truth is that the women who feed the nation’s children are almost driven to starvation themselves.”
(The news article has been updated with some corrections in the text)
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