1. DALIT FEMINISM
Presented by
Group 6

2. Concerns of Dalit Feminism
• Dalit feminism is described as “discourse of
discontent”, “a politics of difference” from main stream
Indian feminism.
• Dalit feminist discourse not only questions Indian
feminism’s hegemony in claiming to speak for all
women, but also the hegemony of all Dalit men to
speak on behalf of Dalit women.
• Dalit feminist are vocal about centuries old historical
neglect by the elitist nationalist discourse.
• Dalit feminism recalls the joint oppression of caste and
gender faced by multiple Dalit women.

3. • It analyses Dalit women’s oppression as a triple
jeopardy of oppression by double patriarchies-
“discreet” patriarchy of their own caste and an
“overlapping” patriarchy of the upper caste- as well
as poverty.
• “Discreet” patriarchy dictate that power rest with the
men in the community and in the institution led by
them.
• It also argues that male violence unleashed by Dalit
men on their own women is reflection of their own
sense of powerlessness vis-à-vis upper castes.

4. • “Overlapping” patriarchy which maintains a strong
sense of exploitation, threat of rape by upper caste.
• Overlapping patriarchy maintains a strong sense of
gendered spaces and sees the habitual visibility of
Dalit women as a sign of their availability and
inscribes them as lustful women who sexually cannot
be controlled by Dalit men.
• Dalit Feminism celebrates ‘difference’ of Dalit
women from privileged upper caste women and
celebrates their identity in their strength, labour and
resilience.

5. Asserting Dalit Feminist Standpoint
• Dalit Feminist standpoint is a protest of ‘difference’
to the main stream feminist movement and its
inherent brahmanical and patriarchal connect.
• DFS argues rejection of universalism in favour of
difference, it insist on fragmented human subjects
rather than collectivities ( Position of nominalism).
• DFS is against the Dalit patriarchal movement
enhancing sanskritization and savarnization.
• DFS resist the Saidian influenced framework of
postorientalism.

6. Why Dalit Feminist Stand?
• It argues a thorough analysis of the material
basis of patriarchy.
• It argues for bringing at the centre stage the
differential access to and control over
labour, sexuality, and reproduction by
castes, classes and communities.
• It argues for revisioning of contemporary
feminist politics by suggesting an ideological
position of multiple/ plural standpoints.