MSc

The present study entitled “Women plantation labourers of tea gardens in Idukki district: A multidimensional analysis” was conducted in three panchayaths of Idukki district. The objectives of the study were to identify the gender roles of women plantation labourers of tea gardens in Idukki district and study the livelihood constraints and the socio-economic deprivation of women labourers.
In this study, three Grama panchayaths namely Munnar, Pallivasal and Devikulam were selected and from each Grama panchayath one ward were selected and again from each ward 30 women and 10 men plantation labourers were selected randomly. Thus, resulting in a total sample size of 120 respondents.
A well-structured interview schedule was employed for data collection from the respondents. One dependent variable namely, socio-economic deprivation and 12 independent variables namely, age, educational status, marital status, age at the time of marriage, family size, monthly income, indebtedness, food security, alcoholism, health care seeking behaviour, discrimination and political orientation were studied and analyzed with the help of different statistical tools like mean, median, frequency, percentage, coefficient of variation, correlation, z test, and Kruskal Wallis test.
The female dominated gender roles identified under productive roles were tea picking/plucking (81.67%) and food decisions (73.335), and under reproductive roles were cooking (69.17%), childcare (65%) and elderly care (66.67%). While male dominated gender roles identified under productive roles were weeding (94.17%), pesticide application (100%), fertilizer application (100%), post-harvest techniques (89.17%), money management (54.17%), education of children (55.83%), and under reproductive roles were fetching of water (56.67%) and collection of fuel wood (58.33%). Under community roles 100 per cent of women respondents participated in Kudumbasree and a00 per cent men in Seva sangam.
The overall socio-economic deprivation index was calculated as 2.165. Among the nine dimension of socio-economic deprivation income, housing, other public services, social recognition, democratic participation and credit were found to be deprived with deprivation score of 2 for income, other public services, social recognition, democratic participation and credit and for housing deprivation score calculated was 1. There was significant difference between women and men in the dimension of education and other public services. In the Devikulam panchayath, education and health (deprivation score 2 for both education and income) were also found to be deprived since this particular ward was not close to the city. Also 55.56 per cent of the women tea plantation labourers and 53.33 per cent of men tea plantation labourers were highly deprived of the dimensions while 44.44 per cent women tea plantation labourers and 46.67 per cent men tea plantation labourers had low level of deprivation of the dimensions.
The profile characteristics of the female labourers such as family size and indebtedness showed a positive and significant correlation with the dependent variable socio-economic deprivation while political orientation showed a negative and significant correlation. In the case of male labourers the profile characteristic, age at the time of marriage showed negative and significant correlation while indebtedness showed a positive and significant correlation with the dependent variable socio-economic deprivation.
The top five constraints faced by the women tea plantation labourers were low wages, lack of housing facilities, lack of involvement in management, inaccessibility of government financial institutions and lack of rest period. Amongst men these were low wages, inadequate employment opportunities, lack of housing facilities, lack of involvement in management and inaccessibility of government financial institutions.
From the findings it can be concluded that housing was the most deprived dimension among the nine dimensions followed by income, other public services, social recognition, democratic participation and credit. Under gender roles tea picking is dominated by women. The female dominated gender roles were tea picking/plucking, food decisions, cooking, childcare, elderly care and Kudumbasree. Male dominated gender roles were weeding, pesticide application, fertilizer application, post-harvest techniques, money management, education of children, fetching of water, collection of fuel wood and Seva sangam.