At 2068 hectares, Letchmi Tea Estate in Munnar, Kerala is one of the largest tea estates in the area. The job can be challenging as the climate includes monsoon and high temperatures, but the tea pickers – all women – make jokes and chatter cheerily throughout their shift. Historically it’s been the lowest minimum daily wage of any sector in the state, until the women organised an independent strike and won a wage increase. Perhaps the biggest win though, is in the attitudes of these women – their slogan is “The hands that wear bangles can also carry swords.”
