Reflections from the field: Gendered labor inequalities and well-being of Sri Lankan tea plantation women

This blog post was written by Kalani Jayasundara, Master’s student in Rural Development and Natural Resource Management at SLU.

The tea industry is one of Sri Lanka’s most recognizable and economically important sectors, yet behind every cup of Ceylon tea are women workers whose lives are shaped by a daily struggle with low wages, long hours, and heavy domestic responsibilities. I wanted to understand how these inequalities affect women’s well-being, focusing on physical, mental, and social aspects.

The purpose behind my research

The main goal of my research was to gain a deeper understanding of how gendered labor inequalities shape the overall well-being of women workers in Sri Lankan tea plantation sector. Beyond this, the study aimed to contribute to broader discussions on gender justice and labor reform by highlighting the lived realities of women workers. It seeks to promote a more inclusive understanding of well-being that goes beyond wages and productivity, to encourage social recognition, dignity and justice for tea estate women workers in Sri Lanka and beyond.

Grounding research in personal experience

I conducted my research fieldwork in four tea estates across the Badulla district in Sri Lanka. Having lived and studied in the region before, I was somewhat familiar with plantation life there, but entering the estates as a researcher gave me a new perspective.

The idea for this study emerged from my personal experience. As a young girl from a Sri Lankan village surrounded by lush green tea cultivations, I grew up in a middle-class community where tea was core to our culture and daily lives. Drinking tea was a valued habit and a vital income source for many families. Behind this familiar image, I witnessed oppressive hardships tolerated by estate women who worked in tea fields for extended hours, even without any recognition or appreciation for their contributions. 

Later, as I worked in the agriculture extension field related to the plantation sector, I had direct experience interacting with these women in the field. Listening to their stories and observing their hardships, I noticed their challenges within the estates. This experience inspired me to delve deeper into gendered labor inequalities of estate women workers in Sri Lankan tea plantations, particularly in the Badulla district, for my master’s thesis. I chose to focus on the Badulla district because it is a tea-dense hill country region that I am intimately familiar with and have personally experienced in my own life.

Listening to the voices from the estates

The fieldwork involved semi-structured interviews with women workers, men workers, estate management staff, NGO representatives, and a representative of Parliament who represented the hill country tea community. I also spent time observing everyday life in the tea fields, line rooms, daycare centers, and estate offices. These spaces revealed not only the visible struggles of labor but also the hidden stories of resilience and endurance.

A recurring theme in women’s narratives was the double burden of balancing paid estate work with unpaid household responsibilities. Their days typically begin before sunrise, preparing food, cleaning, and caring for children, followed by long hours of plucking tea leaves. After returning home, they resume domestic chores late into the night. This relentless workload left women with little time for rest, personal care, or social activities, directly affecting their physical and mental well-being. It also reinforced the invisibility of unpaid labor, which remains unrecognized in estate wage systems.

Many women also described the uncertainty of their wages in detail. Wage systems require workers to meet daily plucking targets, and failure to do so results in wage deductions. Seasonal variations in harvest and bad weather make these targets especially difficult.

Debt was another recurring issue, with many workers borrowing money from estate cooperatives or local lenders to cover food, healthcare, or education costs. Women described how even minor wage cuts could disrupt household survival, pushing them into cycles of vulnerability.

Beyond the workplace, women’s well-being was shaped by patriarchal structures that limit their agency. The practice of “walame”, where men are allowed to leave work earlier than women, was described as unfair but deeply normalized. Leadership roles in estate committees and unions also remain dominated by men, despite women making up the majority of the labor force.

Some women expressed frustration about this inequality, emphasizing how patriarchy is both cultural and institutional. These dynamics are part of what scholars call plantation patriarchy, a system where historical legacies of colonialism, labor exploitation, and gender hierarchies intersect. Some of them highlighted another layer of inequality, institutional neglect. Many women lacked proper healthcare, education opportunities for their children, or access to welfare benefits. Development programs often targeted communities broadly but failed to address the specific vulnerabilities of women workers.

One of my key reflections is that well-being is not only shaped by inequalities it also shapes women’s ability to carry out work. Poor physical health, mental exhaustion, and social isolation reduce productivity and increase vulnerability, creating a feedback loop that keeps women trapped in cycles of poverty and dependence. Recognizing this two-way relationship is crucial if we are to design policies and interventions that truly support women workers.

Challenges in the field

Conducting this research was both rewarding and challenging. Reaching the estates meant long hours on steep, slippery roads, often disrupted by heavy rains. Language barriers also required close collaboration with my translator, Thileepan, whose support was invaluable in building rapport with Tamil-speaking workers.

As well as listening to women’s stories of exhaustion and struggle was emotionally heavy. Yet, their resilience and determination to care for their families despite systemic inequalities inspired me deeply.

Looking forward

The voices of women workers remind us that true change in the plantation sector is about more than just wages. It demands recognition of unpaid care work, transformation of patriarchal practices, and stronger institutional support for health, education, and empowerment.