By: NANDINI BHOWMIK, SAMAR KR. BISWAS
This article examines the shifting economic and gender dynamics among women tea plantation workers in India, focusing on the Satischandra tea garden in the Darjeeling district. Although women constitute the backbone of the tea industry—particularly through labour‑intensive tasks such as leaf plucking—they continue to be positioned as secondary earners within households, a perception rooted in long‑standing gender norms. Their work is characterised by low wages, strenuous physical demands, and precarious living conditions, all of which constrain their well‑being and limit their capacity to support their families. Yet, despite these structural disadvantages, many women demonstrate notable resilience, gradually assuming central roles as primary earners and decision‑makers within their households. Drawing on a mixed‑methods case study that integrates interviews, surveys, and quantitative data analysis, the study investigates how women navigate and negotiate their economic circumstances to assert leadership and secure greater autonomy. It explores the mechanisms through which they become principal contributors to household income, as well as the strategies they employ to manage responsibilities, exercise agency, and pursue economic independence. By analysing these processes, the article contributes to broader debates on gendered labour, household power relations, and the socio‑economic empowerment of marginalised groups, highlighting the critical role of women’s decision‑making in shaping pathways toward autonomy and resilience.
