In the region of Manapparai, as in many rural areas in the south if India a major part of the population live from agricultural work which depends largely on rainfall.

In the long periods in which there is no rainfall, the seasonal workers have no employment and it is very difficult for them to earn enough money to maintain their families. This situation leads many men to seek relief in alcohol or other drugs, resulting in problems for their families including violence against their partners or desertion of the family.

It is in such situations that the weight of responsibility on the women is greatest when they become the single person on whom all the family responsibilities fall.

The social structure on which the society in rural India is based; the caste  system and the number of different religions, make communication and organization among the women very difficult, making it even harder for them to improve conditions for their families.