In search of In search of coolie bodies coolie bodies Gender in Labour History Gender in Labour History

– a South Asian – a South Asian perspective perspective

Diminishing visibility of Diminishing visibility of women from industry in women from industry in

India 1920s-1940s India 1920s-1940s

In contemporary In contemporary discoursediscourse

„„While in the actual labour While in the actual labour situation the earnings of situation the earnings of the wife or daughter are the wife or daughter are hardly significant, in a hardly significant, in a proper interpretation…the proper interpretation…the wife and daughters of the wife and daughters of the working-class family are not working-class family are not to be regarded as adding to to be regarded as adding to its income by work away from its income by work away from home but as contributing home but as contributing towards happiness and towards happiness and comfort of the family by comfort of the family by their household duties in their household duties in the house where meals have the house where meals have to prepared, clothing washed to prepared, clothing washed and the little ones cared and the little ones cared for by them.”for by them.”[1][1] [1][1] Radhakamal Mukerjee: A Radhakamal Mukerjee: A National Minumum Welfare National Minumum Welfare Standard The Indian Journal Standard The Indian Journal of Social Work, June 1944. of Social Work, June 1944.

„„It must be remembered that It must be remembered that most of the gainfully most of the gainfully employed women workers are employed women workers are also household workers, and also household workers, and women begin household work women begin household work much earlier than 15”.much earlier than 15”.[1][1] [1][1] Rajani Kanta Das: The Rajani Kanta Das: The Industrial Efficiency of Industrial Efficiency of India, P.S King and Sons, India, P.S King and Sons, London, 1930 21London, 1930 21

„„There appears to be little There appears to be little employment of women and employment of women and children because on average children because on average family consists only of 0.09 family consists only of 0.09 adult women and 0.02 child adult women and 0.02 child earners.”earners.”[1][1] [1][1] Report on an enquiry Report on an enquiry into family budgets of into family budgets of industrial workers in industrial workers in Jamshedpur, Shimla 1946. 8.Jamshedpur, Shimla 1946. 8.

In current In current historiographyhistoriography

““The coalfields, like The coalfields, like other industrial other industrial cities of that time, cities of that time, such as Calcutta, such as Calcutta, became a predominantly became a predominantly male world in both male world in both preponderance and preponderance and domination.”domination.”[1][1] [1][1] Dhiraj Kumar Nite: Dhiraj Kumar Nite: Work, Family and the Work, Family and the Reproduction of Life. Reproduction of Life. The Phase of Early The Phase of Early Industrialization in Industrialization in the Jharia Coalfields the Jharia Coalfields 1890s-1940s In Labour 1890s-1940s In Labour Matters 82-100 95Matters 82-100 95

Samita Sen, Radha Samita Sen, Radha Kumar, Chitra JoshiKumar, Chitra Joshi

Presence of Female Labour Presence of Female Labour in Jamshedpurin Jamshedpur

Signatories in petitions Signatories in petitions Debate about nurseries and Debate about nurseries and institutions motherhood within institutions motherhood within and around the worksand around the works

AccidentsAccidents Mines: Mines:

underground work debate underground work debate colonial ethnography - photographs colonial ethnography - photographs

Coolie bodiesCoolie bodies

The death of the reja’s The death of the reja’s babybaby

Questions on the surface: Questions on the surface: legal responsability – compensationlegal responsability – compensation

could the baby be inside? – factory could the baby be inside? – factory inspectioninspection

female coolie as irresponsible female coolie as irresponsible mothermother

Absence of suffering body from the Absence of suffering body from the discoursediscourse

Gender in policy making Gender in policy making processprocess

West vs. India? West vs. India? Recognition and Recognition and

conceptualization of conceptualization of female labourfemale labour