This Human Rights Day, we spoke to anti-caste activist Manisha Mashaal, the founder of Swabhiman Society, about the prevalence of caste-based sexual violence in the state of Haryana. Hear from her what can be done to bring an end to this violence.
The ‘Justice Denied: Sexual Violence and Intersectional Discrimination, Barriers to Accessing Justice for Dalit Women and Girls in Haryana’, report by Swabhiman Society and Equality Now analyses the specific barriers to accessing justice faced by Dalit survivors of sexual violence in Haryana. The report has found, that in Haryana, sexual violence is used by dominant castes to oppress Dalit women and girls, that there’s a culture of “violence, silence and impunity”, the rate of violence against Dalit women is very high, obtaining convictions is difficult, and that community plays a role in impeding access to justice.
The report also found that there’s a lack of support services for survivors, and that survivors are subjected to intrusive medical examinations. It was also found that for survivors, many barriers exist to accessing justice and Dalit women and girls are specifically targeted by dominant caste men.
Call on the Haryana Government to take action to end caste-based sexual violence here.
To know more about Equality Now, click here. To know more about Swabhiman Society, click here.
Also read: Dalit Women Will Get Justice Only If Casteist Judicial System Is Uprooted
