Women and Manual Scavenging: A Critical Analysis of Lived Experiences and Legal Frameworks in India
Published 2025-10-15
Keywords
- manual scavengers, PEMSR Act, women manual scavengers, rehabilitation, health issues, sustainable development goals, occupational safety, clean water and sanitation (SDG 6)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
In the community of manual scavenging, women constitute more than 90% of manual scavengers. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (PEMSR) Act, 2013, was proposed for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers, but little to no rehabilitation has occurred. This article addresses the plight of women manual scavengers and critically analyses the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (PEMSR) Act, 2013. The article relies on semi-structured interviews conducted with families of manual scavengers in two demographic regions of Uttar Pradesh state in India. Secondary research was conducted through a literature review of esteemed journals.