Water

In arid Rajasthan, the long march to quench family’s thirst is a woman’s domain

Women’s long marches to sources of water are celebrated in culture but they often paint a not-so-fair picture of gender inequality
In arid Rajasthan, the long march to quench family's thirst is a woman's domain
The sources of water in the Thar desert are often scouted by men and upon designating the source as reliable, it is the women's job to fetch water on a daily basis.Photographs by Amit Shanker/CSE
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For centuries, women in Rajasthan’s arid regions have taken it upon themselves to fetch water from far-off sources in order to ensure potable water for household use.

Often, these long marches run for several kilometres and the daily drudgery is also carried out by the female child who often accompany their mothers.

In arid Rajasthan, the long march to quench family’s thirst is a woman's domain
In this picture, minor girls can be seen assisting their mothers in fetching water.

The menfolk, meanwhile, are assigned tasks like cattle-rearing and agriculture, which allows more time for leisurely activities.

Rajasthan
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