Gendering Caste: Through a Feminist lens
By Uma Chakraborty
In this
article, Uma Chakraborty has spoken about the caste based societal split that
is inherent in India and looks at how it affects women. Here, again intersectionality
comes into play as the dalit women are the worst affected and are at the bottom
most level of the social hierarchy. Their situation is highly similar to that
of black women in America. This is because they are already facing
discrimination and subjugation by virtue of being women and are further subjugated
by virtue of their caste.
Marriages in
India is essentially a trade of women similar to cattle in the barter system. Furthermore,
they are consider to be of having no purpose in life but to reproduce and have children.
They are forced to have several children with a member of their own community in
order to ensure the purity of the caste. Self-awareness is curtailed and any voice
of dissent is suppressed.
The author also
speaks about Brahminical patriarchy and how it has gone to shape women’s lives
and sexuality. It also talks about how the Brahmins are established as the most
dominating community affecting all, oppressing all the other castes.
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