Nepal’s Dalit community, which has patriarchal character like other
Nepali caste groups, also treats its women as second-class human beings.
Women in the Dalit community, which has been pushed to the edge of the
society due to centuries of domination and exploitation in the name of
untouchabilty, don’t get the opportunity of education.Due to the system of untouchability still in practice in Nepal, its
Dalit women can neither adopt the professions of their choice. That is
why they are forced to endure double violence: socially as Dalits, and
domestically as women.
As per the latest Census (2011), Dalits comprise 13.2% of Nepal’s total
population. To be precise, there are 3.4 million Dalits in the country,
and half of whom are women. In this way, the Dalit female population is
around 1.7 million – the chunk of population at the lowest level of the
society in the country.
According to a recent survey, despite many forms of domination meted out
to Dalit women, they are faced mainly with two problems: social
persecution in the name of untouchabilty, and gender-based violence
(GBV).A survey carried out by the Federation of Dalit Women (FDW) in 16
districts in the five Development Regions of Nepal showed that Dalit
women are mostly victim to caste-based discrimination and GBV.
Durga Sob, Chairperson of FDW and Dalit rights activist, said that Dalit
women are subject to more violence than Nepali women in general.“Dalit women are more prone to violence than other Nepali women. They
are subject to violence not only because they are women, they are also
treated as untouchables in the society. Thus, their suffering becomes
twofold,” said Sob.
Suppressed under the society’s overbearing attitude against Dalitds and
treated as a weaker sex in their own community, Dalit women are unable
to raise their voices against the unfair treatment meted out to them,
Sob maintained. She further stated that lack of awareness and
caste-based discrimination rampant in the Nepali society make life for
Dalit women harsher to bear.“Even if Dalit women want to come out of the house standing against GBVs
at home, they aren’t likely to be helped by the society because they
face another wall of segregation, that of caste-based discrimination, in
addition to the practice of untouchability,” said Sob. “So they don’t
dare speak up for their rights,” she added, further stating that the
razing of the social wall of segregation is not easy, either.
“For the emancipation of the Dalit women, it’s mandatory in the first
place to end caste-based violence and GBVs perpetuated against them,”
she added.
The marginalized Dalit community itself has been struggling for its
identity and self-respect in the society. Being financially weak,
community members are devoid of education opportunities that further
exacerbate the situation for the new generations of the community to
come.
“Even if one likes to do something for the sake of the community, the
financial resource as well as rampant illiteracy come as main hindrances
on the path, “said Sushila Sirpali Thakuri, Chairman of National Dalit
Commission. “How Dalit women can utter words of protest with such
situation at hand?” she questions.
Shesh Chandtara, Chairperson of National Women Commission (NWC),
analyzed that women’s status in the Madhesi Dalit community is even more
pathetic than any other women in the country.“Madhesi Dalit women are still inside the four walls of domesticity.
They are still limited to kitchen chores. They still aren’t aware of
GBV. They suffer from caste-based, gender-based as well as class-based
discriminations,” she added. She further underscored the need of
separate and special campaigns and programs to deal with the problems
faced by Madhesi Dalit women.
Women’s participation from the Dalit community in education is very low.
A study carried out recently showed that only 2.8% of Dalit women have
had access to higher education. Without education, there is no chance of
getting into the employment sector.With such situations at hand, Dalit rights activists are of the opinion
that the blanket movement for the emancipation of the entire Nepali
womenfolk does not work out the problems in the cases of Dalit women.
Dalit women’s rights activist Gaura Nepali said that the problems of
Dalit women are neither addressed by women’s rights movements nor by the
struggles of Dalit emancipation. She is of the opinion that Dalit women
are overlooked in any movement having taken place in the country so
far.“The Dalit movement in the country has reached a certain high at
present. But it’s an irony that the community has done precious little
to address the problems faced by its own female members,” said Nepali.
According to Sob, women’s participation in the Dalit movement is
negligible. She blamed the male-dominated society and the patriarchal
mindset for such a shameful situation. Even holistic women’s movement
for their emancipation has utterly failed to include Dalit women.Dhan Kumari Sunar, former member of NWC, also said that the abolition of
caste-based discrimination of the society as a prerequisite for the end
of domestic violence against Dalit women.
“Women’s movements should duly understand that without a complete
forbiddance of untouchability and caste-based discrimination,
emancipation of women as a whole in the true sense is impossible,” said
Sunar. “Women’s movements should make anti-untouchability as one of
their main agendas. Only then it’ll pave the way to end the GBV,” she
added.
Lagging behind in all aspects—education, awareness and economics – of
empowerment, an awareness program is needed to increase Dalit women’s
participation in education. Without education on GBV, domestic violence
as well as social discrimination against them won’t subside.Dalit rights activist Gajadhar Sunar advocates that Dalit women should
be made self-dependent so that they can protest any form of violence
against them in their own right.Dalit rights activists duly emphasize on the need of introducing
effective legal provisions to check GBV. They also advocate for making
the judiciary a women-friendly agency.
source:- Sancharika Feature Service/myrepublica
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