No Gender- inequality in Agrarian sector during the covid-19 pandemic

A Study of the ‘Parawila Watta’ Tamil State in Monaragala District

Abstract

The covid-19 pandemic creates a severe threat to worldwide people’s lives and livelihoods. It is not just a health disaster but also an economic, social, and, most importantly, a gender-inequality crisis. Some gender-specific impacts occurred, such as increased violence towards women & girls. The research objectives identify the differences in gender stereotypes between families and the agrarian workplace, the key issues they face, and then provide recommendations to accelerate the advancement of gender equality through the agricultural sector. The research problem is, why did agrarian estate women become more vulnerable than men during the pandemic period? A research field based on the ‘Parawila Watta’ Tamil state (rubber & sugarcane cultivation) and people aged 15-50 category, both men and women. Information was analyzed using these qualitative and quantitative methods. Interviews and observations were used as primary and statistical data sources and national and international research as secondary data sources. SPSS software is used to analyze data. The research findings explained the increase of violence against agrarian women as covid-19 has exacerbated known problematic issues of family violence, financial problems, psychological problems, unnecessary pregnancies in the family and labour exploitation, salary issues, sexual violence and job insecurity in the agrarian workplace.

According to the Patron-client relationship, the woman is the employee on the plantation and in the family. Therefore she becomes more exposed and vulnerable during the pandemic. Men worked in public spaces outside the estate while married women toiled in the agricultural sector, and many men lost their employment due to the epidemic. But they didn’t join to plantations & forcibly took the women’s daily wage. However, their daily wage of LKR 740 was also reduced due to the pandemic, which was insufficient to support her family. Finally, it’s clear that the agricultural women face several crises as employees in the workplace and in the family. Therefore, they can’t escape from the effects of patriarchy even in times of pandemics and discrimination from diverse factors against women living in agricultural estates.