Dalit Women in India: At the Crossroads of Gender, Class, and Caste

Abstract

As the lowest in the caste hierarchy, Dalits in Indian society have historically suffered caste-based social exclusion from economic, civil, cultural, and political rights. Women from this community suffer from not only discrimination based on their gender but also caste identity and consequent economic deprivation. Dalit women constituted about 16.60 percent of India’s female population in 2011. Dalit women’s problems encompass not only gender and economic deprivation but also discrimination associated with religion, caste, and untouchability, which in turn results in the denial of their social, economic, cultural, and political rights. They become vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation due to their gender and caste. Dalit women also become victims of abhorrent social and religious practices such as devadasi/jogini (temple prostitution), resulting in sexual exploitation in the name of religion. The additional discrimination faced by Dalit women on account of their gender and caste is clearly reflected in the differential achievements in human development indicators for this group. In all the indicators of human development, for example, literacy and longevity, Dalit women score worse than Dalit men and non-Dalit women. Thus, the problems of Dalit women are distinct and unique in many ways, and they suffer from the ‘triple burden’ of gender bias, caste discrimination, and economic deprivation. To gain insights into the economic and social status of Dalit women, our paper will delve more closely into their lives and encapsulate the economic and social situations of Dalit women in India. The analyses of human poverty and caste and gender discrimination are based on official data sets as well as a number of primary studies in the labor market and on reproductive health.

Caste Exclusion and Health Discrimination in South Asia: A Systematic Review

“…The main challenges they face include the following: poor health, reduced education, economic deprivation due to limited employment opportunities, reduced public service and political participation, violence and atrocities, prostitution, and gender inequality. 19 In this review, we seek to also understand gender aspects of caste by presenting challenges Dalit women face.…”

Interface of Gender and Caste in the Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Displaced Women in the Rayagada District of Odisha

“…They are different in health status, educational attainments, and economic performance which are measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). In the case of Dalit women, they are at the bottom of social hierarchy (Sabharwal & Sonalkar, 2015). In the study area, most of the Dalit women have been more adversely affected than the tribal women, due to lower caste, gender bias, and untouchability.…”

“…But the discriminatory practices have been associated in different forms, such as attitude towards Dalit women. For an example, Dalit women are rarely employed as cooks in upper-caste homes and are mostly employed in cleaning works like sweeping, mopping, and dusting (Sabharwal & Sonalkar, 2015). The present study focuses on the Dalit and tribal people, who have been displaced by large-scale development project and have lost their income, traditional livelihoods, and the way of life.…”

“…In the areas, Dalits are still living in separate locations with poor services and are facing discrimination when they try to access public services. Also, they receive low wages at working places when it is compared to the wages of upper-caste men and women (Sabharwal & Sonalkar, 2015). This is a manifestation of caste and gender bias.…”

“…The health of the Dalit women has deteriorated more than the health of Dalit men. Their problems are distinct and unique in many ways, and they suffer from the “triple burden” of gender bias, caste discrimination, and economic deprivation (Sabharwal & Sonalkar, 2015).…”