Photographer captures women beekeepers in the Nilgiris through a global project

Photographer Raajadharshini has documented women beekeepers in the Nilgiris as part of the Indian chapter of Guerlain's global Women for Bees initiative. The initiative is a partnership involving luxury perfumery Guerlain, UNESCO, and the Nilgiris-based Keystone Foundation.

The Project

Guerlain has a 170-year history with bees dating back to 1853, when Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain designed a gilded Bee Bottle for Empress Eugénie. Over the past five years, the global Women for Bees programme has trained more than 250 women across nine countries, installed over 3,500 hives, and protected at least eight endemic bee species. Global Sustainability Director Claire Coletti noted that human food security depends on bees, warning that food systems would collapse if bees disappeared.

Local Impact

In the Nilgiris, traditional honey collection was historically called honey hunting and was done by men climbing tall cliffs and trees. The new project introduces managed box hives for native Asian honeybees called Apis cerana, allowing women to cultivate honey safely near their homes. Participants share hive tips, support independent businesses, and connect over afternoon tea. To strengthen this network, Guerlain is launching a tailored mobile app for Indian beekeepers to share real-time advice and troubleshoot seasonal challenges like heavy rain and wind.

Context

The Nilgiris sit at the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats and form a protected biological hotspot facing rising temperatures and climate-induced pressures. Projects combining local communities with conservation efforts help protect fragile ecosystems while supporting sustainable livelihoods. Beekeeping plays a vital role in natural pollination and maintaining regional biodiversity.