India – Socio Economic Status of Women Manual Scavengers – Study
Author: Womens UN Report Network
Date: July 21, 2014
WUNRN
INDIA – SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS OF
WOMEN MANUAL SCAVENGERS – STUDY
Direct Link to Full 46-Page 2014
Report:
In the caste based social structure of India, the ‘Dalit’ community has been
excluded from a dignified right to life. As a result, the community has
remained backward in education, livelihoods, access to services, schemes and
opportunities to live a life with dignity. Most grievous situation in this
context is their forced retention in caste based and hereditary occupations
which means that the community is not free and allowed to select occupations of
its choice. Dalits remain in occupations forced upon them centuries ago
resulting in their continued exploitation and discrimination.
Of all the caste based occupations forced on the ‘Dalit’ community, the most
despicable and inhumane is that of ‘head loading’. They lift and carry heavy
loads of excrement and night soil in baskets to designated sites of disposal on
their heads. Manual scavengers manually clean dry latrines used by others in
the village/semi-urban areas. Amongst those involved in head-loading 98% are
women, who are forced to do this work under social pressure. Since this work is
caste based and is considered compulsory for a particular caste within the
‘Dalit’ community by traditional society, it has not remained merely an
occupation but has continued as a practice and custom. The system has rendered
vast majority of people oppressed who are considered “untouchables”,
deprived of their social, economic and political rights. Any progressive
attempt has been subdued by acts of discrimination and exclusion that has
exacerbated their sense of powerlessness. Discrimination and exclusion in all
spheres of life – social, religious, economic and political– have resulted in
loss of their identity and dignity. Further, the lack of resource ownership and
opportunities aggravates their vulnerability.
In Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh people from ‘Valmiki’, ‘Haila’ and
‘Halalkhor’ castes are involved in the practice while in Bihar they are from
‘Mister’ and ‘Dome’ castes. Communities of these castes are placed in the
lowest rung of Hindu society- ‘‘Untouchables among the Untouchables’’. The
continuing hold of caste based thinking and practice undermines their
self-esteem and dignity. Previous approaches to end manual scavenging include
Gandhian Approach which appeals to conscience of people; Legal Approach relying
on the legislative advocacy, Rehabilitation Approach that advocates for
policies of rehabilitation and Technocratic Approach advocating for replacing
dry latrines and constructing flush toilets.
These approaches, however, are limited by their focus on abolishing manual
scavenging. By treating manual scavenging as a form of work or employment—a
subset of labor that could be sanitized through technical interventions or
economic empowerment schemes—these approaches have failed to place the issue of
manual scavenging in broader social, cultural and political context. Such
targeted strategies have failed to mount a frontal challenge to the pyramid-like
caste structure that confines manual scavengers to its base; do not identify
women as primary group performing this while facing discrimination from their
very own families and recognize the hierarchy maintained among ‘Dalits’. None
of these strategies seek to “liberate” manual scavengers from a
mindset that reinforces their confinement to torturous caste-based duties
outlawed under both Indian domestic law and the UN Convention on Torture9.
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