Stone crushing, family wage labourers and health effects : a gender study in India | |
| Author | Roy, Chandreyee |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-06-14 |
| Subject(s) | Women employees--India--Health and hygiene Crushed stone industry--Employees--India |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-06-14 |
| Abstract | Due to rapid urban growth, new building constrnctions, road communications and embankment requires huge amount of stones. Though stones are available naturally near the riverside of the hilly area, still these stones are need to cut into pieces (stone chips) to give them particular shape to use those for the construction of buildings, roads, dams, highways etc. This demand is increasing day by day. To fulfil the huge amount of demand of this raw mateiial as well as to supply the requirement, the foremost important thing is the huge amount of manual labour. The people who are migrants and the people, who came here from other districts of India and the neighbouring countries of India, were completely landless and they were devoid of from any source of income. The study tends to investigate that if these rootless and landless migrated workers are able to earn their livelihood in a healthy working environment and whether all the family members are involved in this job to cope up their crisis situation or not. If the family works as a production unit, then there is an urgent need to investigate that if all the family members are able to share the equal benefit from their income and if they are able to participate equally in the decisions during the benefit sharing. This present study also tends to explore the importance of women and children's involvement into this job and the socio-economic implications, particularly health, owing to this stone crnshing profession with special reference to women. Usually it is seen that stone crnshing is a hazardous job which causes silicosis and other kinds of health injuries to the stone crnshers. However, this profession is equally harmful for both male and female workers, still because of the social and cultural norms and traditions women worker's position become more vulnerable than their male counterparts. Often it is seen that in spite of women's overwhelming presence in the labour force, women have to continue their reproductive activities and household chores for their family. Moreover, the study reveals that the workers are mostly migrated from neighbouring countries (Nepal and Bangladesh) of India. This migrant position makes these workers more vulnerable and thus these resourceless and educationless migrant workers find it difficult to bargain to fulfil the requirements for their survival. In terms of health, the study shows that women being culturally dutiful towards their family participate in this hazardous profession to cope up their crisis situation but still continues to do their reproductive work which overburdens women's work, time and responsibility. This has a great impact on women's health. Moreover, because of poor living condition and lack of health care facilities women suffer from various kinds of diseases directly or indirectly caused by this profession which is often neglected by their families. |
| Year | 2006 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-06-14 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kusakabe, Kyoko; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Earth, Barbara; Routray, Jayant K. ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2006 |