‘Others’ Within the ‘Others’: An Intersectional Analysis of Gender Violence in India

Abstract

In 2018, the rapes of two young girls shook India. The ruling government blatantly supported the perpetrators in both cases. It has also been highlighted that if the victims were high class, high caste or belonged to the Hindu community, public and media outrage would have been different, possibly similar to what was witnessed after the December 16th 2012, Delhi Nirbhaya rape. Hence, it is valid for us to question what was different about the Nirbhaya case? Class and caste divisions form the foundation of the hierarchical nature of Indian society. Using an analysis of the Nirbhaya rape case through the lens of intersectionality, this paper explores how factors such as class, caste, religion and geography in India influence not only how a case of gender violence and the victims are perceived but is also reflected on the perception of the perpetrators and the resultant punishments meted out. Previous research establishes interesting intersections of gender and representation in the Nirbhya case (Dey & Orton, 2016; Shandilya, 2015). This paper further builds on that discourse to establish how the intersection of social segregations along with gender division and patriarchy, form a complex web of discrimination and violence in India.

Bibliographie et autres ressources

“…109 Dey 2019a. 110 Dey 2019a, 2019b Her parents subsequently agreed to the use of Jyoti's real name. 112 Chaudhuri 2017. substantive overhaul of the criminal law.…”

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“…The 16 December 2012 gang-rape 4 of a young university student in New Delhi started a new phase of feminist activism in India (Dey 2019a(Dey , 2019b. Thousands of people came out on the streets across India to not only demand justice, but also to raise their collective voices for women's safety in public spaces and legal reforms around SGBV.…”

“…Thousands of people came out on the streets across India to not only demand justice, but also to raise their collective voices for women's safety in public spaces and legal reforms around SGBV. The protests that followed also demonstrated the significance of using digital technologies for gender activism, developing solidarity, creating shared identities, and raising consciousness (Dey 2019a). What followed for the next few years was a series of campaigns emanating from the gender politics of university campuses.…”