Dalitism and
Feminism: Locating Women in Indian Society
Dr. Andrey Shastri,
Assistant Professor,
Department of History,
Amity University,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Abstract: This paper portrays the meaning of
Dalit, and feminism and from this lens where are Indian women stands in Indian
society. Especially, the downtrodden section of every society, even in terms of
female or male, this section is excluded from the different things. Different
eminent scholars like Charu Gupta, Gopal Guru, Sharmila Rege confronts the
heaviness of upper caste and patriarchal model on the lifestyle of lower caste.
Different writings on Dalits and feminism always portray the different
pragmatic points of discussion. This paper definitely, represents the concept
of Dalitisim and feminism in context to Indian women. That where exactly after
the 78 years of independence, we are standing. It actually, struggles a lot as
a woman from the margins of society.
Keywords: Dalit, Feminism, Society,
Caste, Gender
Introduction
Dalit feminism always
aims to uphold their oppression by preventing narratives and by empowering Dalit
women to express their stories. Dalit women always raise their voices for their
rights and dignity. If we go back in historical time period, then we will find
that prominent personality like Savitri Bai Phule, Jyotiba Phule, Ramabai
Ambedkar, always leads a directions and plays an important and crucial role by
emphasing the role of education and its importance by heading different types
of anti caste and anti-untoucability campaigns in India. they always focussed
on the cause of women's right, women's education, women's empowerment. Dalit feminisim
is a powerful and important socio-political tool that finds an intersection
between the caste, gender and class. It’s always been interests for Dalit women
and to Dalit women. They also challenge different patriarchal stature that is
going on in the society, still continuing in different forms. Discrimination
against Dalit women has many dimensions. and these dimensions incorporated in
the writings of these eminent scholars in different time phase. They raised
complex issues faced by Dalit women based on their caste, gender and different
socio- economic conditions. There is no doubt, that entire concept of Dalit
feminism revolves around the assertion of agency and voice for Dalit women who
have been marginalised historically.
Caste and Gender: A Dual Oppression
Dalit women face a
"triple burden"—of caste, class, and gender. Unlike upper-caste women
who may suffer primarily from patriarchy, Dalit women are victims of both
Brahmanical patriarchy and caste-based exclusion. The work of scholars like
Sharmila Rege and Gopal Guru emphasizes that caste cannot be treated as a
backdrop to gender but as an active agent shaping women's experiences.
In India, caste and
gender are not isolated categories but intersecting axes of oppression that
shape the lives of Dalit women in profound and violent ways. While gender
discrimination affects all women, Dalit women face a compounded form of
marginalization that stems from both their caste identity and their womanhood.
This dual oppression positions them at the lowest rung of India’s social
hierarchy, often making their suffering invisible in both mainstream feminist
and Dalit political narratives.
Caste-based violence
against Dalit women is often a mechanism to assert caste supremacy. Dalit women
are disproportionately subjected to sexual violence, social ostracization,
forced labour, and denial of access to public spaces and resources. Crimes such
as rape, public stripping, and parading naked are frequently used as tools of
punishment for challenging caste hierarchies or asserting basic rights. Unlike
upper-caste women, whose bodies are often protected within the frameworks of
honour and purity, Dalit women’s bodies are treated as violable and expendable.
This normalization of violence reveals how caste and gender operate together to
enforce Brahmanical patriarchy.
Moreover, Dalit women
experience exclusion from both the patriarchal power structures within their
own communities and from upper-caste feminist movements. Within Dalit
communities, women are often relegated to submissive roles, burdened by
domestic responsibilities, and discouraged from engaging in political activism.
Simultaneously, mainstream feminism in India has historically failed to account
for caste, often promoting a universalist idea of womanhood that does not
reflect the lived experiences of Dalit women. This erasure silences their
voices and reinforces Savarna dominance in feminist discourse.
The idea of “Brahmanical patriarchy,” a term
popularized by scholars like Uma Chakravarti, highlights how caste and gender
are co-constructed systems. This patriarchal order maintains caste purity by
controlling women’s sexuality and reproduction, especially through practices
such as endogamy. Dalit women, who fall outside the caste-purity paradigm, are
therefore denied the same protections and respect that upper-caste women
receive, and are often hypersexualized and dehumanized in both social reality
and popular imagination.
Labor is another site
where caste and gender oppression intersect. Dalit women have historically been
relegated to the most degrading and exploitative forms of labour, including
manual scavenging and bonded labour. Unlike upper-caste women, who may be
confined to domestic spaces, Dalit women are pushed into the public sphere as
cheap and expendable laborers—yet without the protections or recognition of
their contributions. This socio-economic exploitation reinforces their marginal
status and perpetuates cycles of poverty and discrimination.
To truly understand the
position of women in Indian society, it is essential to analyze caste and
gender as mutually reinforcing systems. Dalit women do not experience
patriarchy and caste discrimination separately; their experiences are shaped by
the convergence of the two. Any feminist or social justice movement that fails
to acknowledge this intersection runs the risk of reproducing the very
hierarchies it seeks to dismantle. Hence, an intersectional framework—one that
accounts for the interplay of caste, class, and gender—is critical for
articulating a politics of liberation that is inclusive and transformative.
Dalits and Their Status
The word Dalit—literally means the “oppressed” or “broken” one. Sometime they are regarded as the untouchables also. They are
found in every nook of India. They are the ones who lived within the Hindu
traditional society, but had very limited freedom. The majorities of the Dalits
are poor, socially backward, and usually deprived from all basic needs. They
had no rights on anything. They are also deprived from educational opportunities.
Although some of the Dalits had very good jobs and good educational background
but still more people are lagging behind in every aspect. Every day in most of
the sector they face multiple discriminations in various forms. Earlier, they
named as "Untouchables" by the Caste Hindus. Later on, they were
recognized as 'Depressed classes' and 'scheduled castes'. These phrases came
out by the Government Act of 1935. Mohandas K. Gandhi coined the word
'Harijan', which means "the children of God." But this term was not
welcomed by the Dalits because it did not adequately describe their condition.
They are not treated even as human beings leave alone being respected as people
of God. They are not treated equally in this society.
India’s caste system assigns individuals
a certain hierarchical status according to Hindu beliefs. Apart from the four
castes in India, the Dalits people fall into the category of schedule caste.
Being the members of the lowest rank of Indian society, Dalits face different
kinds of discrimination at almost every level: from access to education and
medical facilities to restrictions on where they can live and what jobs they
can have. The discrimination against the Dalits is especially significant
because of the number of people affected just because they belonged to lower
caste. India is home to over 200 million Dalits. According to Paul Diwakar, a Dalit activist from the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, "India has 600,000 villages and
almost every village a small pocket on the outskirts is meant for Dalits." Dalits form around 16.6% of India's population. The 2011
census recorded nearly 20.14 crore
people belonging to various scheduled castes in the country. As per the 2001
census, the number was 16.66 crore.
Within the Dalit community, there are
many divisions into sub-castes. Dalits are divided into leather workers, street
sweepers, cobblers, agricultural workers, and manual “scavengers”, these are
the different sub-divisions of this caste. Approximately three-quarters of the
Dalit workforce are in the agricultural sector of the economy. A majority of
the country’s forty million people who are bonded labourers are Dalits. These kinds of job rarely provide them income to feed their
families or to send their children to school as a result of which many Dalits
are impoverished, uneducated, and illiterate and backward.
Since
from the very early times, Dalits have been oppressed, culturally subjugated,
and politically marginalized. Even sometime the Dalits are not allowed to
sit in front or along with the high caste people, they are also not allowed to
eat with, and not even allowed to marry. Discrimination for Dalits does not end
if they convert from Hinduism to any other religion. Upper castes maintain
dominant leadership quality while Dalit members of these religions are often
marginalized and flagrantly discriminated against. The lower caste people
told that their place in the caste hierarchy is due to their sins in a past
life. Vivid punishments of torture and death are assigned for crimes such
as gaining literacy or insulting a member of a dominant caste. Because of
this ideology they never think to bring changes in themselves or in others
mind.
Dalit Feminist Standpoint
Dalit feminism is not
merely a variant of Indian feminism—it is a radical political critique of both
caste and patriarchy. Dalit literature, oral testimonies, and grassroots
activism reveal how Dalit women resist, negotiate, and survive systems of
oppression. The articulation of "Dalit womanhood" as a distinct
identity is itself a powerful political act. The Dalit feminist standpoint
emerges as a distinct and necessary intervention within Indian feminist
discourse. Rooted in the lived experiences of Dalit women, it challenges both
the Brahmanical patriarchy embedded in Indian society and the Savarna-centric
framework of mainstream feminism. Dalit feminism is not simply an extension of
feminist or Dalit movements—it is an autonomous ideological and political
standpoint that critiques the exclusions and silences produced by both.
The fundamental
assertion of Dalit feminism is that caste and gender are inseparable in the
lives of Dalit women. While mainstream feminism in India has historically been
dominated by upper-caste women, its theoretical frameworks often universalize
women's experiences without addressing the unique oppressions faced by Dalit
women. Similarly, Dalit political movements have prioritized caste issues
through a largely patriarchal lens, sidelining the gendered experiences of
Dalit women. In contrast, Dalit feminism emphasizes an intersectional analysis,
where caste, class, and gender operate simultaneously to shape structural
inequalities.
Dalit feminist scholars
such as Sharmila Rege, Gopal Guru, and Ruth Manorama have argued that Dalit
women's standpoint is a site of both knowledge and resistance. This standpoint
arises not from academic abstraction but from centuries of systemic
exploitation, exclusion, and struggle. It is grounded in what Rege termed “the epistemological break”—a
disruption of dominant narratives by centering subaltern voices. Dalit women's
experiences with sexual violence, caste-based labour, landlessness, and denial
of education produce a consciousness that is both political and transformative.
One of the central
themes of Dalit feminism is the critique of Brahmanical patriarchy—a system in which caste and gender
hierarchies reinforce each other. In this system, upper-caste women's sexuality
is regulated to maintain caste purity, while Dalit women's sexuality is left
unprotected and violated as a method of caste-based control. Dalit feminists
expose how this dual marginalization not only subjects them to violence but
also erases their agency in societal and feminist narratives.
Dalit women’s voices
have found powerful expression through literature, autobiographies, and oral
histories. Writers like Baby Kamble, Bama, and Urmila Pawar offer
counter-narratives to dominant histories by documenting the brutal realities
and resilient spirits of Dalit women. These narratives do not just depict
suffering; they highlight resistance, survival, and political consciousness.
Through such testimonies, the Dalit feminist standpoint asserts itself as a
legitimate site of knowledge production and social critique.
Furthermore, Dalit
feminism is deeply rooted in collective activism. Organizations such as the National Federation of Dalit Women (NFDW)
have worked to foreground issues such as caste-based sexual violence, land rights,
and political representation. Dalit feminist activism demands not only legal
reforms but also a cultural shift in how society views caste and gender
relations.
Challenges and Concern
Dalit women in India
face layered challenges that stem from the intersection of caste and gender.
They are often excluded from mainstream feminist spaces, where upper-caste
narratives dominate, and their issues are either ignored or tokenized.
Caste-based sexual violence against Dalit women is met with institutional
apathy, and their underrepresentation in leadership roles further silences
their voices. Additionally, cultural stereotyping, internal patriarchy within
Dalit communities, and lack of access to quality education and employment
continue to marginalize them, making their struggle for dignity and justice an
uphill battle.
Marginalization within
Feminist Movements
Dalit women’s voices
are often excluded from mainstream feminist discourse, which is dominated by
upper-caste narratives that fail to address caste-based issues.
Lack of Intersectionality in Policy and
Practice
Government policies and
feminist programs rarely adopt an intersectional lens that considers the
combined impact of caste, gender, and class on Dalit women’s lives.
Underrepresentation in Leadership and
Academia
Dalit women are vastly
underrepresented in academic, political, and organizational leadership, leading
to limited visibility of their issues in public policy and intellectual spaces.
Caste-Based Sexual Violence and
Institutional Apathy
Dalit women face brutal
sexual violence, often with the tacit complicity or indifference of law
enforcement and judiciary systems, reinforcing a culture of impunity.
Literacy rate
The literacy rate among
Dalit women in India remains significantly lower than the national average,
reflecting systemic barriers to education. According to the 2011 Census, the literacy rate for
Dalit women was around 56.5%,
compared to 73% for the general
female population. Factors such as poverty, early marriage, caste-based
discrimination in schools, and lack of educational infrastructure in
marginalized communities contribute to this disparity. Low literacy levels
restrict Dalit women’s access to employment, awareness of rights, and
participation in political and social spheres, perpetuating cycles of
marginalization.
Barriers to Education and Employment
Systemic discrimination
continues to limit Dalit women's access to quality education and fair
employment opportunities, hindering socio-economic mobility. Dalit women face
multiple barriers to accessing quality education, rooted in caste-based
discrimination, poverty, and gender bias. In many rural areas, schools remain
socially segregated, and Dalit girls often face humiliation, exclusion, and
even violence from teachers and peers. Economic hardship forces many into child
labour or early marriage, cutting short their educational journeys.
Additionally, lack of safe transportation, absence of toilets in schools, and
limited role models further discourage their continued schooling, reinforcing
structural inequality from an early age.
Internal Patriarchy within Dalit
Communities
Dalit movements often
replicate patriarchal norms, making it difficult for Dalit women to find
support even within their own communities.
Absence of Safe and Inclusive Spaces
Apart from these there
is a lack of safe spaces—academic, activist, or community-based—where Dalit
women can articulate their concerns without fear or censorship.
Some Recommendations for Social and
Gender Equity
Addressing the
multifaceted oppression faced by Dalit women in India requires transformative,
inclusive, and sustained interventions at multiple levels—policy, community,
education, and activism. The following suggestions aim to promote social
justice and ensure the inclusion of Dalit women's voices in India's feminist
and developmental discourse.
1. Promote Intersectional Feminism in
Policy and Practice:
There is a need to
integrate an intersectional lens into all feminist and governmental frameworks.
Policies and schemes for women’s welfare should explicitly acknowledge and
address caste-based disparities. Government bodies, NGOs, and academic
institutions must prioritize Dalit women’s issues as distinct from generalized
women's empowerment agendas.
2. Ensure Equal Educational Access and
Representation:
Educational equity must
be a central concern. Efforts should be made to ensure access to quality
education for Dalit girls and women, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.
This includes improving school infrastructure, sensitizing educators to caste
and gender issues, offering scholarships and mentorship programs, and ensuring
safe learning environments. Representation of Dalit women as educators and
curriculum reform that includes Dalit voices and histories can also foster
dignity and inclusion.
3. Strengthen Legal Protection and
Justice Mechanisms:
Fast-track courts and
stronger implementation of laws such as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities)
Act are essential to address caste-based sexual violence. Legal aid services
must be made more accessible for Dalit women, and law enforcement personnel
should undergo sensitivity training to reduce systemic bias and victim-blaming.
4. Amplify Dalit Women’s Voices in Leadership
and Media:
Greater efforts should
be made to include Dalit women in leadership roles across political, academic,
and civil society spaces. Media should feature more narratives authored by
Dalit women themselves, rather than speaking for them. This will help break
stereotypes and give space to authentic, lived experiences.
5. Foster Solidarity between Dalit and
Savarna Feminists:
Dialogue and
alliance-building between Dalit and upper-caste feminists are crucial.
Upper-caste feminists must reflect on their caste privilege and open space for
Dalit women to lead conversations. Solidarity should be based on equity, shared
learning, and mutual respect, not appropriation or tokenism.
6. Encourage Community-Level
Sensitization and Mobilization:
Grassroots activism and
awareness campaigns should focus on dismantling casteist attitudes within
communities. This includes sensitizing men within Dalit and non-Dalit
communities to the intersecting struggles of caste and gender and fostering
collective responsibility for change.
Conclusion
There is a very meagre development in
context to Dalits as compared to non Dalits. The backwardness of Dalits is
mostly because of the injustice done to them, from higher caste people. Since
centuries they have been worked as slaves, and still there is no improvement in
their condition which has resulted social discrimination, economic deprivation,
and educational backwardness. They had to fight for their own rights. The
devastating effects of caste system had created a lot discrimination among the
society members, which hampers the development of a nation. Dalits women are
too discriminated on being women and next on being Dalit women. They are twice
exploited and torture by this society. They are exploited on the grounds of
poverty, economic status, lack of education and lack of awareness. Despites of several
government efforts the Dalits girls drop - out soon from the schools, as they
do not have the proper environment at home. Thus, the
funds which are allocated by the government for their welfare are hardly able
to bring any distinct change in their life. They remain helpless, ignorant,
exploited. They are victims of worst kind of patriarchy, casteism and corruption
in Indian society. This situation makes their life difficult and full of miseries.
The issue of Dalit and Dalit women is of a crucial importance in the
contemporary Indian society. Today's
need is “to Awake and Arise” of our own rights.
Locating Dalit women within the
frameworks of feminism and caste justice reveals the urgent need for an
inclusive and intersectional approach. Their lived experiences challenge both
patriarchal and casteist structures, demanding a redefinition of empowerment
that includes voice, dignity, and representation. True social transformation
can only occur when the most marginalized are heard and centered in the
struggle. As Dr. B.R. Ambedkar powerfully stated, “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which
women have achieved.” The liberation of Dalit women is not just a
feminist cause—it is a measure of our collective humanity.
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Guru, Gopal. “Dalit Women Talk Differently.” Economic
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