Early Marriage Amongdalit Women (A Case Study to Dalit women of Palakot VDC-5,Baglung District)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to give a short description of the Sarki community (sarkiwomen), a socially excluded caste group of Nepal, regardingEarly Marriage inDalitWomen. For this purpose Palakot VDC-5 of Baglung District was selectedpurposively. There are total 50 households of the Sarki Community and the totalpopulation of them is 1592. Descriptive and analyticmethods are used in this study.Mainly primary data are usedfocusing onqualities’in nature. The Sarki are traditionally occupational caste. Their main occupation was makingShoes and Plough others field in past, but the young generation is leaving theirtraditional profession for better economic and social status. Most of the peopleareworking in daily wages as skilled wages such as earning money.(i.e. carpentry,mason) and few of the younger people are went foreign country. The Sarki are poor and exploited by higher castes. Most of them areuneducated andowns few lands. Therefore, they are backward in every field. Caste baseddiscrimination is not as rigid as it was in the past, but some discriminations can beseen clearly. The Sarki are not allowed to enter into the home of upper castes. Theydon’thave participationin political affairs. Most of them are only voters. They havefew accesses in local resources management. There were different types of NGOs/INGOs which were working to improve andenhance the life style of Dalit Women and trying topreventearly marriagesystemamong Dalit Women. Butthere hasnot seen any positive sign in the improvement ofthe Sarki women’s tendency of marriage. Neither they are yet concerned to theirhealth nor do they use contraceptive to control the child birth in early age. So theybecame the victims of many more lifelong diseases. Gradually, social awareness isimproving and enhancing among the Sarki of the study area due to the effect ofmodernism.