Mountains of Labour, Currents of Change

Women’s Livelihoods and Economic Transitions in the Indian Himalayan Region and Uttarakhand

Surekha Dangwal, Rajendra P. Mamgain, Shruti Dhaundiyal

About the Book

Mountains of Labour, Currents of Change offers an in-depth exploration of women’s livelihoods in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), with a special focus on Uttarakhand. Conceived under the Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand’s One University-One
Research initiative, the book draws upon a rare blend of evidence—900 household surveys across six districts, detailed time-use data, in-depth interviews, and seasonal field observations— that transform statistics into stories and stories into structure. What began as a state-level study has evolved into a methodological blueprint for Himalayan research—one that listens before it measures and interprets before it prescribes. Rejecting welfare-based narratives, the study reframes livelihoods as a central economic concern,
arguing that justice, sustainability, and development in the Himalaya require data that are both rigorous and context-sensitive. Moving from diagnosis to design, it introduces three innovative frameworks— the Ecological Livelihood Harmony, Symbiotic Migration Model, and Dual-Pathway Development—to strengthen gendered livelihoods in fragile mountain
economies. Across fourteen interlinked chapters, the book traces the feminization of agriculture, the hidden economy of unpaid care, the rise of microenterprises,
and the migration cycles linking hill villages to distant cities. Analytical and evocative,
it exposes how policy frameworks often overlook women’s unpaid ecological labour and time poverty, offering instead an empirical and conceptual grammar for understanding Himalayan livelihoods and the resilience that sustains them. Richly structured and methodologically sound, this book is essential reading for scholars, policymakers,
and practitioners engaged with gender, migration, ecology, and the future of mountain economies.

About the Author

Surekha Dangwal is the Vice- Chancellor of Doon University since January 2021. Formerly Professor & Head of English at HNB Garhwal Central University, she has 36 years of teaching and research experience including guiding 22 Ph.D. and 30 M.Phil. scholars. Her research focuses on women’s discourse in South Asia, diaspora literature, and Indian knowledge traditions, with extensive publications on Uttarakhand women. A DAAD Fellow, she pursued research in Germany and was visiting faculty at Tarleton State University, USA. She has held key roles including Chairperson, HILTRON (U.P.), Dean Student Welfare at
HNBGU, and Member, Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand.

Rajendra P. Mamgain is Professor & Head, Department of Economics
and Dean, School of Social Sciences, Doon University, Dehradun. He is a distinguished development economist with over three and half decades of research and teaching experience, specializing in labour, employment, migration, education, skill development, human poverty, and impact evaluation of government programmes. A Fellow of the Global Labour Organisation, Maastricht, and Hon. Secretary of the Indian Society of Labour Economics, he has authored or co-authored 12 books, published over 75 research papers and led 38 policy-oriented studies. He has served with leading research institutions in India and consulted for several national and international
organizations. Prof. Mamgain is also a former S.R. Sankaran Chair Professor (Rural Labour), NIRDPR, GoI and former Managing Editor of The Indian Journal of Labour Economics.

Shruti Dhaundiyal is a Ph.D. scholar in Land Economy at the University of Cambridge, specializing in the environmental impact assessment of hydroelectric projects in the Indian
Himalayan Region. Her research integrates environmental policy, climate change, gender and inclusive economic development through an interdisciplinary lens.
She has contributed to academic and policy dialogues on sustainability transitions, ecological justice and institutional reform. Her work has been featured in reputable journals and other international publications, reflecting her commitment to advancing equitable and evidence-based environmental governance

Contributors 

“A pioneering study that blends rigorous data analysis with ground level experiences and field insights. By reframing feminization as a symptom of structural imbalance rather than empowerment, the book advances a nuanced understanding of gendered livelihoods and the urgent need for inclusive policy frameworks.”

Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, Government of India
“A timely and empirically grounded contribution that situates the livelihood challenges of the Himalayas within broader employment and regional development debates. The book’s analysis of migration, time poverty, and ecological drudgery offers deep insight into gendered livelihoods and provides a useful framework for designing inclusive and sustainable development strategies across fragile regions.”

Prof. Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Secretary-General, Social and
Human Sciences, UNESCO, Paris
“The book provides a rigorous and insightful analysis of women’s livelihoods in the Himalayas. The analysis of feminisation, migration, and labour asymmetries reveals deep institutional gaps shaping women’s economic participation. The volume is a significant contribution to the discourse on inclusive development and regional transformation, particularly related to Himalayan economies.”

Prof. Alakh N. Sharma, Director, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi and President, Indian Society of Labour Economics
“A compelling study that highlights the resilience and economic strength of Himalayan women. By exposing the institutional roots of women’s economic exclusion, it challenges conventional welfare narratives and advances a framework linking capability
enhancement with structural reform. A must-read for scholars and policymakers concerned with inclusive mountain development. It is a timely and much needed contribution to the understanding of gendered economic transitions in mountain
societies”

Smt. Radha Raturi, Chief Information Commissioner of Uttarakhand & Former Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand.