A Study of Economic Status of Unorganised Women Construction Workers with Special Reference to Sivagangai District in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The present study was carried out with women construction workers, working in the unorganized sector. An attempt has been made in the paper to understand the socio economic condition of women laborers, nature of their work, their working conditions, wage pattern, wage discrimination and other difficulties faced by them at their work place. In order to assess the economic status of women construction worker in Sivagangai district, 420 women construction workers (60 sampling from each taluk, Sivagangai, Tiruppattur, Devakottai, Karaikudi, Manamadurai, Tiruppuvanam and Illayankudi,) of Sivagangai district were randomly selected with the help of construction engineers. To analyze wage discrimination and factors influencing the wage of women construction workers in Sivagangai district, the proportionate probability sampling technique was adopted in order to select 140 engineers. Findings show that majority of the migrant women were engaged in the construction industry and were only employed in unskilled and low paying jobs as coolies, laborers and helpers. Women were exploited to a greater degree as they were paid less compared to men for similar nature of work hours spent on work. The conditions of work in the unorganized sector were unsatisfactory and the problems confronted by them were acute. And that their illiteracy, poverty and indebtedness forced them to work for lower wages and under unjust conditions.