SriLanka, May 9 -- She wakes before the mist clears. By the time most of Colombo is having breakfast, she has already been working for two hours, plucking, carrying, meeting a daily quota that does not change regardless of her rest, discomfort or nourishment. She works on a tea plantation and is among many others whose contributions are vital to the economy, yet whose experiences are not always reflected in any occupational health statistic. The pressure to meet quotas is often matched by anxiety over household finances, rising costs and caregiving responsibilities that leave little space for rest or recovery. The stress she carries home every evening has no official category. But it is real, and it can and does do harm.

This 28 April, ...