Radhika works as a cook in Chitrakoot district, in six households besides her own. She works in two shifts - preparing meals in the morning and evening. Her day starts at 4 am with household work; by 6 am she leaves her house for work outside.

Radhika gets a two-three hour break during the day before she goes back to work. Her day ends close to midnight, when she goes to sleep planning and worrying about the next day.

A mother of three children, she barely gets to spend time with them to ask after their studies or spend time having fun with them.
Radhika has been a working mom for 16 years. When her children were young, she had no option but to leave them in the house under the uncertain care of her neighbours. There were many days when she ate her first meal at 3 pm in the late afternoon, after doing housework and rushing out to work in other houses. Now that her children are older, her daughter, not sons, helps her out with household chores.

Life, Radhika says, is a cycle of work, more work and no leisure...all work and no play for women.

#womenatwork
#workingmoms
#mothersday
#latergram
#allworkandnoplay