For the last few months, we at Chitrakoot Collective have been documenting women's livelihoods in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh. We have spoken to scores of women who work in the informal sector as daily wage labourers, street vendors, domestic workers to understand the impact of Covid and lockdowns. Our reporting tells us that women have had to navigate unprecedented challenges during this time; from increased gender divide in work opportunities to adapting to new businesses. Many of the women we spoke to are heads of their families, carrying the dual responsibilities of bringing home an income and doing house and care work. They have reported lower earnings and increasing levels of hunger.

Meet Sona, a resident of Kapsethi village in Chitrakoot district, who has a similar story to share. In the pre-Covid era, she was a roving street vendor, selling items from village to village. When the 2020 lockdown was announced, she was not allowed into villages to pursue her business from the fear of coronavirus. Like many wage workers and street vendors, she became a vegetable vendor, as this was deemed an essential activity. She tells us that this transition was fraught with difficulties. Sona says that because she is not an educated person, it took her many months to figure out how to run a vegetable business. What would be her pricing model? How would she stave off competition as this business was getting overcrowded? It has taken her a few months to figure it out, she says.

What are the resources available to women working in the informal sector having to undertake forced job transitions, with no savings or safety nets?