Socio-Economic Vulnerability and Empowerment of Women Tea-Garden Workers in Assam: An Analysis of Wages, Living Conditions, Social Security, and Decision-Making Autonomy

Assam has women tea plantation workers, but inadequate basic services and low earnings lead to fragmentation of employment and limit women’s voice and choices in both family and work. Women’s socio-economic vulnerability in tea estates and the connection to empowerment are at the forefront through the lens of wage levels, the regularity of employment, living conditions, social and financial inclusion, and decision-making power. This study undertakes a critical analysis of authenticated literature in the domain along with official reports for a time period of 2020–2025. In addition, for statistical representation, a transparently declared simulated dataset of 300 women workers is constructed. A seven-dimensional Socio-Economic Vulnerability Index and a seven-dimensional Women Workers’ Empowerment Index were developed. Among other things, diverse statistical analyses of the dataset were undertaken. The simulated results demonstrated a clear divide between permanent and temporary workers. Permanent workers earned significantly higher and had greater access to maternity and health benefits, while temporary workers had more irregular paid days and offered weaker paid-day protections. The simulated results showed that the mean vulnerability score was 0.337 and the mean empowerment score was 0.566. Longer hours of unpaid care were negatively associated with empowerment, while empowerment of women workers improved with education, personal income, union membership, social protection, and bank ownership. Social protection reduced vulnerability. The results of the study are hypothetical analyses rather than field estimates, but they demonstrate the value of an integrated empirical approach in identifying intersecting disadvantages. Effective policy includes transparent systems for wage determination, universal and portable social protection, housing and occupational safety standards, functional childcare, women-controlled financial inclusion and institutional mechanisms that enable women’s agency and participation so that women transition from having nominal representation in an institution to having substantive power to make decisions.