VOICES UNHEARD: THE REALITY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG DALIT WOMEN

For centuries, Dalit women in India have endured a culture of silence. They have silently witnessed their own exploitation, oppression, and brutality. Their bodies, earnings, and lives are not under their control. The manifestations of violence, exploitation, and oppression against them are evident in various forms such as hunger, malnutrition, disease, physical and mental torture, rape, illiteracy, poor health, unemployment, insecurity, and inhumane treatment. The combined forces of Feudalism, Casteism, and patriarchy have turned their lives into a living hell. Most of them live in extremely precarious conditions. Despite the advancements of modernism and post-modernism, they continue to exist in a dark age of savagery. This paper focuses on the crucial issue of safeguarding Dalit women from domestic violence in India. It delves into the complex challenges they face, including deeply rooted caste and gender discrimination, which make them more vulnerable to domestic abuse.