There are many reasons that women do the heaviest and dirtiest work in the construction industry in India. One is that , right now, women are cheaper than machines. But global companies come with capital and machines. As bad as the jobs are, what will women do if these jobs disappear? Here is a story about the merger of a small Indian firm with a Chinese megacompany to do the work that is being done by women in the accompanying photo.

Women repair a road in Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh, India. (Yann/Wikimedia Commons)