Roughly 80 million women are identified as Dalit in India. Poor, uneducated, discriminated against and the most susceptible to violence, they are preyed upon due to their low status in society. History and tradition have deemed that Dalit women are forbidden from worshiping in temples, attending proper schools and even collecting water from village wells or bore holes. Inadequate access to such essentials place women at a disadvantage for having their basic needs met and thriving. The daily struggle is one of survival.
These women lead difficult lives often being forced to perform the lowest of jobs such as night sweepers and manual scavengers. Obtaining employment in the “organized sector” is extremely rare. Women are fortunate if they secure a job that pays about 30 rupees for a day’s work.
Dalit women also encounter violence, some on a regular basis. Direct violence to these women is multi-faceted. Verbal abuse, physical assault, sexual assault, rape, and forced prostitution are examples of abuses Dalit women face at the hand of men belonging to dominant castes. Unfortunately, women also experience violence beginning in the home. Family norms are another means of oppression and committing violence against these women. Although Dalit men are also discriminated against, domestic violence and alcoholism in the home is prevalent and common in many of the villages.
Sexual violence is suffered by Dalit women systematically as a means of punishment, control and dominance by men of higher castes. Rape is an especially difficult situation to be dealt with. In addition to shame, women also face a stigma associated with that type of physical assault. A large number of rapes go unreported due to fear of ostracism and victims being threatened with further attacks if they come forward. Other villagers and sometimes even family members may avoid contact and cut ties with the victim if she is “found out.”
The Davadasi system is still practiced in some parts of India where girls as young as 6 years old become “brides of Gods” and are raped by men of higher castes in temples. Young women are also later forced into prostitution through this system. The victims’ families are afraid they have no choice in this as it has been an accepted practice for so many years.
All of these illegal practices, traditions and beliefs make it difficult for Dalit women to attain higher aspirations in life. Violent atrocities occur regularly in the names of tradition and religion. How can we maintain tradition without using it as an excuse to violate human rights? Will tradition ever catch up to human rights? Senseless acts of violence also put these women in a constant state of fear. They live each day not knowing if one of them will “offend” someone of upper caste, having their homes or villages destroyed or if they will be attacked. Women feel powerless against such a long history and may not be aware of any other way. In many other countries these repeated acts would be seen as human rights violations. The public, journalists and media influencers must do more to expose these awful situations and demand justice.
ADECOM’s main aim is to educate women on their rights and bridge the gaps between them and city aide. Services available to them include social services and free legal aide. ADECOM assists Dalit women in reaching these agencies and advocates for them in the villages and cities.
ADECOM holds women’s meetings monthly and when needed in the villages. Field officers and coordinators go into the villages daily to meet with women, taking notes on their issues to bring to monthly meetings. There women discuss any concerns or problems they are going through. The group provides an outlet for expression and members offer feedback and possible solutions to the problems.
ADECOM hopes that the Indian government will construct a women’s counseling center, where women can seek confidential and professional advice in a safe and healthy environment. This would supplement the work done in education and women’s meetings.
Beyond ADECOM’s work in Tamil Nadu, we are seeking to raise international awareness on the situation faced by Dalits, especially women. We hope this will pressure the Indian government to provide more assistance. Please consider sharing the information in this article and taking action to put the plight of the Dalit women on the international public agenda.
