Introduction

The Dalit Movement can be defined as a collective movement of Dalits against exploitation in society, including exploitation based on class, caste, and creed, as well as cultural and social exploitation. This discrimination stems from Hindu society's long-standing system of caste hierarchies. For a very long time, Dalits have been oppressed in every aspect of society because of this hierarchy. It has made the Dalits miserable and impoverished. The Dalit movement is a conflict meant to challenge the upper castes' hegemony in society and culture. It is a mass movement that agitates for justice using speeches, books, plays, songs, cultural institutions, and any other means at its disposal. Therefore, it can be described as a Dalit-led movement that aims to achieve equality with all other castes in Hindu culture. A Dalit organization called Navsarjan claims that the caste system in India gives people a particular hierarchical standing in accordance with Hindu doctrine. The Dalits are a group of people who do not belong to religion four main castes, which are further divided into several subcastes. Dalits, who belong to the lowest class in Indian culture, are subjected to discrimination on practically every level of the community, including in housing options, employment opportunities, and access to healthcare and educational opportunities. Dalits, the lowest caste in Indian society, have historically experienced caste-based social class and gender inequality. Women from this community experience economic hardship as a result of caste identification as well as gender discrimination. In addition to gender inequality and economic hardship, Dalit women also experience caste, religious, and untouchability discrimination, which denies them access to social, economic, cultural, and political rights. Due to their gender and caste, they are more susceptible to sexual assault and exploitation. As for men they were only made to work hard, there is not much information about the struggles faced by men.

Struggles faced by Dalits

Dalit women have a caste- and untouchability-based discrimination problem that prevents them from obtaining economic, social, and civil rights and privileges. Following is a list of the primary difficulties Dalit women encounter: Poor health; caste- and untouchability-based discrimination in obtaining employment opportunities, public facilities, and political involvement; caste-based crimes and violence; temple prostitution; and economic, educational, and health inequalities. Dalit women and various forms of prejudice In India, caste divisions and extreme patriarchy coexist in the lives of Dalits women. Being Dalit and female exposes them to discrimination. As a result, they become frequent targets of violence and are often denied freedom and choice. Due to barriers preventing Dalits and women from accessing justice and the likelihood that offenders will get away with their crimes, Dalit women are seen as easy prey for sexual assault and other crimes. The result of grossly unbalanced social, economic, and political power equations is this pervasive junction of gender and caste discrimination. In addition, Dalit women face major barriers to obtaining essential services, are discriminated against on a number of grounds in the educational system, and are more vulnerable to forced prostitution and slavery based on caste. Bonded labor and mistreatment and utilization of Dalit bonded labor are still widespread across various professions. Dalit children are especially more at risk. Being born into marginalization puts them at risk for child labor and child enslavement.

Involuntary prostitution

Young Dalit girls or women who work as prostitutes for men from the dominant caste experience systemic sexual assault in temples.

Political involvement

Dalits frequently experience barriers to equal political involvement. They are frequently denied entry to places of worship, which is a kind of social humiliation. They were forbidden from even fetching water from the public well since they were seen as being impure.

Malnutrition and Inequality

Dalit women constitute a small percentage of farmers and independent business owners in rural and urban areas. As a result, the majority of them rely on wage-earning employment. A high poverty ratio reflects the standard of living due to the weak economic foundation and greater unemployment rate. A high degree of deprivation is evident in other well-being measures as well, especially in the high level of undernutrition and associated health indicators, even if the gender breakdown by poverty level is not accessible. About 29.7% of Dalits in rural regions and 32.9 percent in urban areas lived in poverty in 2009–10. In the case of non-Dalits, the poverty ratio was only 11.8 percent in rural areas and 12.2 percent in urban.