The Unholy Crossover: How Gender and Caste Inflict Violence Upon Women

Women have been a subject to oppression for centuries across the entire globe. Violence and discrimination against women are practised in forms of patriarchal mindset, body autonomy, control over means of labour, over reproduction, domestic violence, female foeticide, female infanticide, disparity in wages, killings for dowry, honour killings and etc. Oppression of women has been rehearsed in the form of various practices such as the practice of foot binding in China, wherein the feet of young girls were broken and bended tightly so as to change their shape and limit the mobility of women, later on the practice also became a part of the Chinese beauty standards. In the Indian context we see Khap Panchayats being set up in villages of states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana where young girls who committed inter-caste love marriages are collectively beaten up and killed by the members of the village community for bringing dishonor to the family. Such are the gender hierarchy, patriarchal norms and caste identities that have aggravated women's conditions. When it comes to the heinous offences committed against women, intersection of both caste and gender has a vital role to play. 

Gender and Caste intersection in perpetration of violence 

Dalit women are considered vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation due to their gender and caste. They face a higher degree of violence mostly at the hands of upper caste people. They exist at the bottom of India's caste, class, and gender hierarchies and are largely illiterate. Not only this they are paid less than their male counterparts when it comes to work. The majority of Dalit women are landless laborers and scavengers in rural areas. Their subordinate position becomes subject to exploitation by those who are in power and who carry out their attacks with impunity. As a result of discriminatory practices, many people are pushed to the margins, and Dalit women stand alone at the end of this margin. They are victims of triple violence. Violence against them includes physical and sexual harassment, rape, naked parading, forced prostitution, kidnapping, and domestic violence. 

When these women confront the upper castes, they are victimized rather than being supported. Dalit women are thrice alienated based on their caste, class, and gender. They are considered vulnerable targets for dominant castes who use them to humiliate the Dalit community. Dalit women-related literature is largely associated with issues of oppression and violence based on intersections of caste, class, and gender. Sharmila Rege argues that Dalit women have been subjected to patriarchal domination within their communities despite their economic contribution. Manju Chattopadhyay believes that Dalit women are triply oppressed in society owing to their caste, class, and gender. At their workplaces, they face physical oppression and rape is very common. Upper caste members of society do not consider Dalit women’s exploitation a crime. They are subjected to impunity for this discrimination and violence which is used as a means to maintain the existing caste and gender disparities. Dalit society has been under double patriarchy in which Dalit women have been oppressed with the growing intersecting technologies of gender, class, and caste in modern India. 

Failure to provide security to lower caste women despite having legal and constitutional measures 

The cases of rape against lower caste women occurs on a large scale in India even today despite the Indian Constitution’s guarantee of non-discrimination on the basis of caste and gender (Article 15[1]), the right to life and security (Article 21) and the Constitutional directive to specifically protect Dalits from social injustice and all forms of exploitation (Article 46). In addition, Indian State has introduced some laws for protecting the rights of Dalits such as the ‘Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. However, the presence of these laws is not enough unless they are properly implemented to ensure personal security to these women and solid efforts are made to eradicate the notions of gender and caste inequality and justice entrenched in our society. 

Possible/Potential reforms 

India, being a democratic country, has the duty to provide a safe and secure environment and a life with dignity to all its citizens. Therefore, it need to have some reforms in order to abolish the caste-class-gender hierarchy which lead to heinous crimes against socially and economically vulnerable lower caste women. 

Some suggested reforms are: 

● The Indian government must ensure proper and strict implementation of the existing laws for providing security to Dalit women. 

● The Administrative officers shall issue orders to ensure immediate and automatic registration of FIRs on the complaints issued by Dalit women and stringent punitive actions must be taken against police officers who neglect such complaints. 

● Units for the protection of Dalit women shall be established in partnership with the Police, relevant ministries and the associated NGOs with adequate representation of Dalit women. 

● Rehabilitation measures shall be taken for the Dalit women who are survivors of such crimes of rape and counselling help shall also be provided to them. 

● Training for self defence shall be provided to the Dalit women so that they can protect themselves against such incidents. 

● Legal literacy campaigns shall be organized in order to impart knowledge and awareness among Dalit women about the legal remedies they can take help of.

● Formation of lower caste women’s organization shall be encouraged at the local, district and national level to prevent crimes against them. 

● Compulsory and free education shall be imparted to all women with special emphasis on vocational and skill-based training which will enable them to get jobs for ensuring a better future.

Conclusion 

As Dalit women lie at the bottom of Indian society, they are easy targets of attack given their caste and gender. In most of the cases these women are illiterate, helpless to accept the social hierarchy norms, working as bonded laborers as landless beings, bearing untouchability as social pressure, and unaware of their civil, social, economic, and cultural rights. There is assumption that these women are available for any kind of exploitation and violence because of their 'low' and 'impure' status because of their caste and do not deserve honor and dignity. This becomes the main factor for sexual violence against Dalit women where the main aim of the upper caste is to try maintaining the ladder of caste hierarchies and show the low caste community its place. The caste-class-gender axis, withholds the systematic base for sexual violence against Dalit women. "They brutalize and intimidate Dalits so that our community knows their place and feel too intimidated to seek better wages and rights that should be guaranteed to them," says Dalit rights activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan. 

No doubt that these women have been oppressed and marginalized for centuries, however many of them have also shown courage and resisted the casteist and patriarchal social structure. Rohini Devi, a woman from West Champaran district in Bihar replied “Yes. I may lose my life in the process, but I want to live with dignity. Tell me, is there any Dalit family left in our village in which someone has not been raped? We will no longer tolerate it!” to the question of standing up publicly for her community and fighting for justice through the legal system. 

Therefore, it becomes significant for the government, society, policymakers, and stakeholders in implementing relevant social policies and legislation for lower caste women,and ensuring a safe and healthy environment for overall development of their personality.

Written by -

Saumya Yadav,

Content Associate