Syllabus: GS-II: Health 

Why in the news?

The women workers of Assam’s tea-garden community continue to face entrenched socio-economic and health challenges despite their vital role in the State’s famous tea industry. Recent studies highlight alarming levels of malnutrition, anaemia, poor maternal health, inadequate education, child-marriage and exploitation — underlining the urgent need for focused policy action.

Who are the “tea-tribe” women?

• The term tea-tribe (or tea-garden community) in Assam refers to the descendants of workers brought to Assam during British rule from tribal/caste backgrounds in states like Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.
• Women form a large portion of the workforce in tea gardens — over 60 % in many estates.
• Their daily life: long hours of plucking tea leaves, minimal rest, low wages, and residence in labour-lines inside estates with poor amenities.
  

Key challenges faced by tea-tribe women

Education & Early Marriage

• Literacy levels among tea-tribe girls and women are among the lowest in Assam. Early marriage and loss of schooling are common.
• A study found that around 80 % of women in one tea-garden sample were unaware of puberty and menopause ages; only ~10 % had knowledge of reproductive-health issues.
  

Health, Nutrition & Maternal Care

• Anaemia is nearly universal among tea-garden women; some reports call it “almost universal” in tea estates.
• A survey found widespread morbidity among tea-garden workers: poor housing, under-nutrition, heavy workload through pregnancy.
• Maternal mortality and morbidity are disproportionately high because of malnutrition, anaemia, high salt/alcohol intake, and lack of accessible maternity care.
  

Working & Living Conditions

• Wages remain low; estate management and worker housing lines remain neglected. A recent report highlighted “the battle for decent working conditions continues.”
• The social conditions — including domestic violence, lack of decision-making power, and alcoholism among men — further exacerbate their vulnerability.
  

Policy / Scheme context

• The Wage Compensation Scheme for Pregnant Women in Tea Gardens (Assam) provides Rs 15,000 for pregnant women in tea garden families to support nutrition and care.
• The National Food Security Act (under which free rice is distributed) has also been invoked to improve nutrition in the tea-garden community.
• The Directorate of Tea Tribes & Adivasi Welfare (Assam) runs schemes such as Pre-Metric and Post-Metric scholarships for tea-garden youth.
• Employees’ State Insurance Act (1948): Intended for social security of workers, including medical and maternity benefits, though effective implementation in tea gardens remains a challenge.
• The Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the Ayushman Asom Mukhya Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana have been identified as vehicles to strengthen health services in tea-garden areas.
• The Assam Plantation Labour Rules, 1956, are a set of regulations made under the Plantation Labour Act, 1951, specifically for the state of Assam. 
  • These rules govern the working conditions, welfare, and rights of workers employed in tea/coffee/rubber and other plantation sectors within Assam.
    

Why this matters

• Tea-tribe women are a key workforce in Assam’s tea industry — vital to livelihoods, yet their human-development indicators lag far behind.
• Their health and wellbeing are crucial for inter-generational progress: malnourished mothers produce malnourished children, perpetuating cycles of poverty and ill-health.
• Addressing their plight aligns with larger national goals: gender equality, maternal health, nutrition, inclusive growth, and tribal/welfare upliftment.
• For Assam specifically, improving conditions in tea-garden communities will contribute to social stability, enhanced productivity, and regional development.
  

What needs to be done

• Education & Awareness: Campaigns on menstrual hygiene, reproductive-health education, child-marriage prevention, school retention for girls.
• Health Infrastructure: Mobile medical units, Village Health & Nutrition Days (VHNDs) in tea-garden areas; reinforce ASHA-worker outreach.
• Nutritional Support: Strengthen free-ration programmes, promote subsidised sanitary napkins, address anaemia via iron-folic-acid, etc.
• Working-condition Reform: Enforce workers’ rights, improve housing, ensure decent wages, enhance women’s participation in decision-making bodies.
• Monitoring & Accountability: Estate-level health and education committees, grievance redressal for women’s issues, transparent fund allocation.
  

Exam Hook: Key Take-aways

• The tea-tribe women of Assam form a critical but marginalised workforce facing structural deprivation in education, health and livelihoods.
• Malnutrition, anemia, early marriage, poor maternal health and under-investment in their welfare combine to produce a cycle of vulnerability.
• Schemes exist (e.g., scholarships, pregnant-women compensation, food-security ration) but gaps remain in awareness, access and implementation.
• A concerted focus on education, health infrastructure, worker rights and social emancipation is essential for their upliftment and Assam’s inclusive development.
  

Mains Question:
“Discuss the socio-economic challenges faced by women workers in Assam’s tea-garden community. What reform measures are needed to improve their health, education and livelihood status?”

One line wrap:
Marginalised tea-garden women in Assam labour in the shadows of the booming tea industry—addressing their plight is vital for social justice and regional progress.

SOURCE