Around a thousand dalit women, belonging to the lowest rung in the caste system in India, are raped each year. Their status as 'untouchables' puts them at the base of the social pyramid, where their future is practically marked from birth - a bleak future indeed.
A police officer figures among those arrested in relation to the recent gang rape of two teenagers who were later hung from a tree. Despite tougher laws, rapes continue to occur. Unfortunately, implementation of the laws can be severely hampered by the caste mindset. The father of one of the girls told the local media that when he went to the authorities, they made fun of him for being a dalit.
The activists claim that rape and murder do not get wide media coverage when the victim is an 'untouchable'. In addition, "Violence, or its threat, makes girls drop out of school and women stop going to work. This vicious cycle keeps women and girls poor and vulnerable," according to the program director and Action Aid policy in India.
An important part of Asha-Kiran’s work is to educate and re-educate families on values such as gender equality. Without this education, dalits and other disadvantaged social groups will continue to be the target of harassment and violence, and their girls and women, the most vulnerable among the vulnerable. With your solidarity, we can continue to 'open their eyes' and provide the means for their hopes to have a visible effect in their lives.
Sources: elmundo.es / elpais.com
