இலஙகயன மலயக பரநதடடததழற தறயல தழல பரயம பணகள எதர நககம சவலகளம அவறறத தரபபதறகன மலபயஙகளம / Challenges Faced by Women Working in the Plantation Sector in the Upcountry of Sri Lanka and Strategies to Overcome Them

Although the upcountry society (Malayaga Samugam or Malayaga Tamilargal) that originated as a matrilineal society later changed to a patriarchal society, it can be observed that the upcountry still exists as a matrilineal society today. When they were brought from India as wage labourers and settled in Sri Lanka in the 1800s, the upcountry women did not stay at home, believing that their husbands would work and save them and their children. The first job given to the Tamils who came from India in the upcountry was to clear the forests and establish plantations. Although it was a very difficult and dangerous job, the women involved themselves in the job and stood by their husbands to ease the poverty of their families. Their struggle for survival that began then has continued for almost two hundred years. At a time when the world is moving towards modernity and innovation in all fields, the upcountry women are still living in a very backwards condition, just like they did in the 1800s. Who is responsible for the slow progress of a particular community when everything has changed? Is it the ignorance of that community? Or is it the lack of awareness regarding education? Or is it the selfishness of the social elites and politicians who believe that they can only live if that community lives in the same condition? With various questions like these unanswered, the upcountry women's community is facing various problems today. Thus, the problems they face can be divided into two categories. The first is family-related problems, such as a living environment without basic facilities, which increases family burden, poverty of the family, irresponsible family headship and an environment where it is impossible to get a good education. Secondly, the problems related to the work sector include increasing workload, salary discrepancies, risks in the field of work, oppression and victimisation by plantation administrators and the sexual exploitation and abuse that have been unleashed on them. Every member of the upcountry community must improve the society of upcountry women from such problems. It is the need of the hour for every socially responsible person to think about this. Therefore, to investigate the current situation of upcountry women and the steps that need to be taken for their progress and to create social awareness, this research article has been conducted based on the field research approach, and the results have been presented.