New Delhi, March 30 -- When I see the image of a woman tea plucker-versions of it are used by businesses in their marketing of tea-it rather bothers me. Perhaps it's because when you walk into a tea estate and see women at work, they smile in greeting, they allow you to photograph them, and they make a pretty picture. But can we stop and see beyond the picture to truly understand the contribution of these women to tea making. The industry has more women working in it than men, and many at this level as tea pluckers.

A few weeks ago, I was in the Nilgiris and thought I'd spend little time on the fields. By the time I made my way to the field at 9am, work was well underway. There was a steady hum from the shears that are used to harvest th...