Gender Discrimination in Dalit Community: A Case Study of Dalit Community of Phakphokthum Rural Municipality of Ilam District

Abstract

This thesis on “Gender Discrimination in Dalit Community 'A Case Study of Dalit community Phakphokthum Rural Municipality of Ilam District” intends to see the pattern of discrimination in social / individual (family) life as being Dalit women, to see the impact of discrimination in gaining benefits of development and to find the ways to bring Dalit women in mainstream of development process. For this purpose, descriptive and exploratory, qualitative and quantitative methodologies were followed. The study was based on both the primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected in the field study with the help of household survey, questionnaires and interview. On the other hand the secondary data were selected from the published and unpublished books, articles and journals etc. which is related to the study. The study revealed that the males have higher role in family economy but the female’s role is very important than male because most of the females go for wage labor for supporting financial economy in the family. Patriarchy persists strongly in the study area; males have dominant rights over the family properties. Female population has to work longer hours and do more cumbersome works than male because besides the household work they have to do the agricultural work and the go to the wage labor as well. There is of course gender discrimination but the discrimination seems to have no huge difference than the discrimination prevalent in the similar status holding society of the other people. They are forced to carry up a certain level of humiliation and low feeling as being dalit women. The economic status of the Dalit people of Phakphokthum Rural Municipalityis very low that has left the women of this community in vulnerable situation. They have to work longer hours without proper rest, proper health check ups, and proper nutrition. They have to contribute almost equally in some case more than males to their family income. Both managing family income and regular female tagged work has made their life miserable. NGOs has been failed to understand the urgent need of the people. To bring into the mainstream of the development the Dalit community people should be improved politically, economically and socially.