In rural India, thousands of women are undergoing unnecessary and forced hysterectomies, resulting in chronic health issues, societal stigma and lasting trauma. In some areas, 1 in 16 women of childbearing age have had hysterectomies – many against their knowledge and far below the recommended age for the procedure. 

The risk of infection and lost wages for menstruating agricultural workers leads many to opt for a hysterectomy as a quick solution. But illiteracy and a lack of reproductive education mean many don’t realise the real risks. These women are vulnerable to exploitation by profiteering doctors, who exaggerate health risks and in some cases perform hysterectomies without telling their patients at all. 

But change is underway. For a decade, activists and advocates have fought for reform, culminating in a landmark 2023 Supreme Court directive requiring all hysterectomies to be registered. Will it be enough to end the practice? What change is needed to prevent this fate from befalling more women?