Gender Disrimination In Tea Estate Workplace: Sociological Insights Towards Maskeliya Estate

Abstract

Gender Discrimination exists when a person faces unfair disadvantages because of their gender. Generally gender discrimination know as universal problem in every sectors. Society undervalues work done by women, as shown by occupational segregation, in which one gender is overrepresented in a particular field or workforce. The tea plantation sector is generally identified as an industry with a huge amount of female workforce. This paper investigates How female workers facing gender based discrimination while in the working based on Maskeliya Estate which is located in Nuwaraeliya District. The study was carried out through qualitative methodology using purposive sampling with 20 tea plantation women workers as the study population. Having achieve the object of the study so limited the sample through data saturation. Also case study and direct observation were used as primary data collection tools and internet sources, Research papers, books were reviewed for secondary data collection. The data obtained were subjected to thematic analysis and findings drawn. As a result Female workers in tea plantations work 3 hours more per day than male workers with the same salary. Women spend longer than eight hours at work, whereas males just put in five hours for the same pay. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are forced to work in the workplace without any equity. There are no provisions for menstrual personal hygiene in the workplace. There is no space in the management hierarchy to raise their voice, participate or take decisions regarding their basic right of employment and other wages issues. Most notably, caste-based discrimination on going as a pocket issue among women tea estate workers while already they treated as a secondary. Women are generally regarded as a vulnerable social group, ofcourse estate women workers must be regarded as the most vulnerable social group. Therefor proper workplace organization, labor laws, equal justice, equality and equity should be implemented in place to combat discrimination against tea plantation women workers on the basis of gender.