Caste-based Violence against Women: Emerging Solidarity Politics of Social Justice

Abstract

This article develops a Dalit feminist paradigm for social justice that includes elements of caste-based violence. Given the historical and interdisciplinary feminist analysis of what kind of feminist solidarity is currently possible, I take caste-based violence as a social problem, arguing that it is possible to act on the principle of social justice. I contend that the time has come for a new progressive feminist solidarity paradigm of social justice. I outline the anti-caste and feminist movements of Indians, which are far from discussing Dalit women in the village. The anti-caste movement is based on Dalit identity and Ambedkar’s ideology that fights for the rights of Dalits in India. While feminists talk about human rights and equality, none of these approaches work in a village plagued by caste-based violence. So, caste and gender issues and violence need to shed light on Dalit feminist politics around social justice.