Health security of women among adivasi tribes a Study in the tea estates of sivasagar and Charaideo districts of assam

Abstract

newline Introduction: Health security, recognized since the 1994 UNDP Human Development Report, highlights the need to protect people from health threats through effective systems and policies. For marginalized groups, this means access to essential healthcare without financial or social barriers. In Assam s 803 tea estates, Adivasi women workers remain highly vulnerable due to poor health infrastructure, economic hardship, and social exclusion. As the backbone of the tea industry, their wellbeing is crucial, yet they continue to face long-standing gaps in healthcare access and protection. Strengthening their health security is essential for gender justice, tribal welfare, and inclusive development. newlineResearch Problem: Adivasi women in Assam s tea estates face overlapping challenges that severely affect their health and well-being, including high rates of malaria, anemia, and malnutrition. Poor living conditions, inadequate sanitation, exposure to agrochemicals, and weak healthcare access worsen their vulnerabilities. Apart from this, gender discrimination, low autonomy, wage gaps, and the dual burden of work and care giving further marginalize them. Their lack of formal recognition as Adivasis or Scheduled Tribes limits access to constitutional safeguards and welfare schemes. However, despite national commitments to inclusive development, major gaps in policy implementation persist. Therefore, focused research is essential to highlight these issues, strengthen health security, and ensure the rights and needs of Adivasi women in tea estates are addressed. newlineSignificance of the study: Health is a fundamental capability that supports dignity, social participation, and personal development. Marginalized communities, especially Adivasi women in Assam s tea estates, remain under researched, particularly in terms of health security using the Capability Approach, despite facing multiple disadvantages. Therefore, examining their health is important, as it reveals deep structural inequalities and unmet needs. Further, strengtheni