This study examines the intersections of gender, labour, and tourism within the homestay economy of Nongjrong, Meghalaya, focusing on the commercialization of women’s domestic and caregiving labour within a matrilineal society. Drawing on feminist political economy perspectives and qualitative fieldwork conducted in Nongjrong village, the paper explores how women’s work within homestays operates across a gendered work continuum where productive and reproductive labour overlap. The findings show that women remain central to homestay tourism through cooking, cleaning, caregiving, guest management, and emotional labour. However, despite their significant contributions, this labour often continues to be viewed as an extension of domestic responsibility rather than recognized as skilled economic work. The study further reveals that financial decision-making and tourism-related income are frequently mediated through male family members, tourism intermediaries, and digital networks, reflecting the persistence of patriarchal economic practices within a matrilineal context. The paper contributes to feminist political economy debates on labour, care, and tourism within contemporary rural societies.
Niharika Saikia (Fri,) studied this question.