While explaining the political socio-economic situation of Dalit women in India, Abirami Jotheeswaran, General Secretary, All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch, said “The Brahmanical patriarchy is keep on hunting the Dalit women and subjecting them into modern day slavery.”
She was recording her lecture on political, socio-economic situation of Dalit women in India with a thread “Situation of Dalit Women in India” as part of a public lecture series being rolled out with a theme of “Reimaging India.”
Referring to a report ‘Dalit Women Rise for Justice – an status report being published during women’s international Day on March 8 this year, she said “The Dalit Women constitute around 10 crore of Indian population that accounts for a total 8 percent of the country’s population. However, much to the dismay the Dalit women are facing oppression in terms of caste, class and gender besides sexual exploitations. They face the Brahmanical patriarchy owing to their caste compared to gender inequality.”
“The Brahmanical patriarchy creates a hierarchy among women and it reinforces the structural power between Dalit and non Dalit Women. As such, it is due to Bragmanical patriarchy, the Dalit women face oppression, exclusion and violence more than the women of any other community,” she pointed out.
While claiming that all the aspects are clearly indicates that Brahmanical patriarchy is the root cause of multiple forms of discrimination and atrocities compare to non-Dalit women folk, she said, “We can talk about ‘Devdasi System’ in India and we all aware of the same. It’s a religious way of acknowledging wherein the young Dalit girls were handed over to priests of the temples who used as a pleasure girls. We can call it as temple prostitution or you can say forced prostitution which is still exists in India. Though there are Act and legislation that prohibits the same but the fact is that it is still prevailing and continues.”
“According to the data of ‘Anti Slavery International’ 93% of Women in ‘Devadasi System’ belongs to Dalit Community, she elucidates adding that “The major part of the Dalit women is involved in the system. “Similarly, when we talk about the women involved in the ‘Manual Scavenging’ we could find that nearly 95 to 98 percent women are belong to Dalit community.”
When we look at bounded labours or modern day slavery, she continued saying that it has also exists especially in textile or garment industry. While dragging the case to the point, she said, “As an example we could talk squarely about the Sumangali scheme being implemented in Tamilnadu state wherein the minor and adolescent girls made part of the scheme that offers them employment in the textile industry.”
“It is a concept that is wrapped under a three year contract offering a bulk sum amount post completion of the period to help the candidate solemnize her marriage. This is one kind of a bounded or modern day slavery wherein the adolescent girls have to sign the contract and more appalling is that the ratio of Dalit women covered under the scheme is 60 percent,” she rued.
When we have a look over the various forms of occupations, she said, it clearly indicates and pop up the question that why only the Dalit women are extensively involved in such dragnets? “It is because of the Brahmanical patriarchy the Dalit women are facing more forms of discrimination, oppression and excluding in the community,” asserted Abirami Jotheeswaran.
