Women workers who go under the name of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist), are considered key functionaries under the National Rural Health Mission. These women workers are selected through a rigorous process involving various community groups, self help groups, anganwadi centres, the block nodal officer, district nodal officer, the village health committee and the gram sabha. They also have to undergo rigorous training to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills for their work.

The work of ASHA includes delivering first contact health care with a drug kit that she is provided, attending to the health needs of the poor villagers, especially women and children who find it difficult to access government health services, facilitating access of the community to government health services and mobilizing the villagers for participation in community health programs. She is also expected to create awareness on health and its social determinants, counsel women on child birth, child care and reproductive health issues, provide information on nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, provide essential medication and much more.

However, ASHA is expected to do all this as an ‘honorary volunteer’, without any salary or honorarium. She is supposed to be given only TA and DA for the training period and compensation for undertaking specific health or other social sector programs run by the government. The justification given by the government for this is that 'her work would be so tailored that it does not interfere with her normal livelihood'.

Under the National Rural Health Mission, launched with great fanfare in April 2005, one ASHA will be employed for a population of 1,000. As on 31st March 2008, 4,81,308 ASHAs have been selected, of which 2,24,668 have already begun working with their drug kits. According to news reports, they are not paid even the promised TA and DA, face harassment and indignity from all quarters and are compelled to work as virtual bonded labourers.

This completely exposes the hollowness of the claims of the government, of ‘empowering women’ and ‘providing health services to the rural areas’. According to latest reports, ASHA are getting organised and taking to the path of struggle against the government, demanding better working conditions and suitable remuneration for their work.