How can unconditional cash transfers transform the longer-term prospects of lower-income families?

Social exclusion based on caste, frequent droughts, lack of employment opportunities and unproductive agricultural land are the factors that lead to the seasonal migration of marginalised communities from the Marathwada region to western Maharashtra to take up cane-cutting work during harvesting season. The Informal system of hiring through labour intermediaries has resulted in severe exploitation of women’s cane cutters as they are forced to live in makeshift tents with no basic water or sanitation facilities for women. The reluctance from the labour intermediaries to hire menstruating workers forces women to go through needless hysterectomies for fear of losing work. This is an alarming situation adversely affecting the reproductive health of women cane cutters which are the backbone of the sugarcane industry in Maharashtra.

China’s rapid urbanisation has widened the development gap between urban and rural areas, leaving more than 41 million children in rural areas without adequate parental care as their parents migrate for work. These left behind children (LBCs) face significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety compared with their non-left-behind peers, struggling with emotional regulation, interpersonal relationships, and self-esteem due to the long-term absence of parents.

When a global health crisis hits, the headlines scream about overwhelmed hospitals, economic downturns, and political turmoil. But beneath the surface lies a tragic and overlooked story, one of women forced to bear the brunt of systemic neglect, societal stigma, and invisible suffering.