Name: Rukhiyat & Thippesh K
Country: India

Year: 2025
Volume: Volume No: 10, Issue No: 2, Year: 2025 (Special Issue)
Page Number: 115-127
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17998311

ABSTRACT:
Coffee plantations play a crucial role in shaping the socio-economic status of women labourers in Chikkamagaluru district, the heart of India’s coffee industry. Women constitute a major share of the plantation workforce, engaging in activities such as planting, weeding, harvesting, and processing. Their participation not only sustains the coffee economy but also contributes significantly to household income and rural livelihoods. Employment in coffee estates provides women with steady, though often low, wages that help support family needs like food, education, and healthcare. Regular
employment also enhances their social recognition and economic independence, enabling some degree of decision-making within. This study investigates the relationship between Socio-Economic Status (SES) and Quality of Life (QoL) among women labourers working in coffee plantations of Mudigere taluk in Chikmagaluru district. The research employed a stratified random sampling method to select
60 women workers. Data were collected using structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with supervisors and social workers. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and t-test were used for data analysis. The results revealed a strong positive correlation between SES and QoL (r (58) = 0.954, p < 0.001), with a t-value of 24.144, indicating high statistical significance. The findings suggest that higher socio-economic status is strongly associated with enhanced physical, psychological, social, and environmental well-being among women plantation workers. The study emphasizes the importance of targeted interventions to
improve education, income, and social support, thereby promoting sustainable livelihoods and overall well-being in the coffee sector of Mudigere Taluk of Chikmagaluru District.

Keywords: Women Labourers, Socio-Economic Status, Quality of Life.