More than 85 percent of the working population in India--about 400 million people--work in the informal economy. Of these, at least 120 million are women. In rural India, a woman's daily wages average just half as much as a man's, though men and women work equal hours. In almost all sectors, from mining to waste, women work for daily wages. Just a few decades ago, the nature of work undertaken by daily wage workers in the informal economy was mainly based on caste and tradition. Now, workers from all castes are more willing to work in almost any job. Issues such as socioeconomic development, overpopulation, and employment-related migration have made it so that someone seeking employment cannot afford to be choosy.

About the Artist

Pattabi Raman is a biologist-turned-photojournalist based in Pondicherry, India. He works as a photographer for The New Indian Express, a national newspaper. Apart from photojournalism, Pattabi also works on socio-cultural documentaries. He is the recipient of several awards, including a Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture (Government of India), a 2010 Media Fellowship from the Centre for Science and Environment, and 3rd Prize at the Venice International Photo Contest (2007).