Status of women beedi workers in tirunelveli district

Abstract

The beedi industry in India is labour intensive. Since beedi rolling is largely newlineconsidered to be a cottage industry, it generates much more employment at the newlinemanufacturing stage. Most of the women engaged in beedi rolling are illiterates. newlineWomen s contributions are undoubtedly essential to the home and thus to society, yet newlinethey are assigned no economic value. Women states that her primary occupation is newlinehousework, but she is considered as not contributing anything to the economy. The beedi newlineworkers are doing the most hazardous work in the country especially in Tirunelveli newlinedistrict. Hence, they have been suffering from various serious diseases, particularly newlinetuberculosis. There are insufficient arrangements for proper medical facilities for the newlinebeedi workers in the study area. The vital problems faced by the workers are the quality newlineof raw material supplied for beedi making is not good. It is a real paradox in the society newlineand some one has to throw light on it. Therefore, the researcher takes the venture to newlinestudy the various problems and analyse to highlight the status of women beedi workers in newlineTirunelveli district. newline At present, the women beedi workers have recorded a good amount of financial newlineturn over in the study area. They played a significant role in the determination of newlinefinancial strength of the study area though the industries may create a series of health newlineproblems for the chosen sample, the women beedi workers. Though the Government has newlinelaunched various welfare schemes for the beedi workers by passing several legislations, newlineyet workers have been facing acute problem like disparity in minimum wages and lack of newlinesocial security, the female beedi workers are carrying out beedi rolling along with their newlineresponsibilities. On the other hand, there is need to address immediate concerns of newlinewomen who are currently engaged in home based beedi work and simultaneously address newlinelong term policy issues resulting from anti- tobacco and globalization trends. In a newlinenutshell, for their future prospect