Ragged Health: A Qualitative Study of Women Rag Pickers in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Abstract

The current study aims to highlight the health challenges of women rag pickers in Rawalpindi. In underdeveloped countries, women of low socio-economic class face a lot of challenges to get a decent job as this depends on multiple factors. Women below the poverty line class are more likely to be involved in informal employment. A significant proportion of women belonging to this class work as rag pickers in Pakistan, who entail many health risks. Despite working under difficult conditions at a tender age, the children of such families lack the basic necessities of life. For the state this segment of society is unproductive but they have a small contribution to the informal economy of Pakistan. The current study aims to highlight the health challenges of women rag pickers in Rawalpindi. Qualitative data collection tools and techniques including participant observation, semi-structured interview guide, in-depth interviews, conversational interviews, and focused group discussion were used to conduct this study. The findings of this study reveal that these women face multiple inequalities and have unhygienic lifestyles. Their access to healthcare is very limited and they are not provided equal opportunities because of various discriminations. The study concludes that women rag pickers are highly prone to diseases caused by unhygienic lifestyles. Further, this segment of society faces several discriminations for seeking better healthcare facilities.