| Pub. Date | : Dec, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of English Studies |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJES061223 |
| Author Name | : Talat and Sukhdev Singh |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Arts & Humanities |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 11 |
Patriarchy is a social system wherein males have positions of dominance and are privileged over females. It also suggests the subordination of females to their male counterparts through a long period of conditioning. In such a system, the women are at the small end of the rope, whether in power, education, or right to inherit property. Bama, in Sangati (2005), and Baby Kamble, in The Prisons We Broke (2018), discuss the marginalization that Dalit women face. The oppressive and hegemonic nature of the Indian society has left them on the periphery with little or no access to resources. Moreover, they face multiple strands of patriarchy: the Brahminical and the Dalit. They are not only oppressed by the Brahmin men but also by the men of their own community. Their exploitation and marginalization at these two levels are captured by Bama and Kamble in their writings and thereby giving them voices. Thus, these works could be taken as a declaration of Dalit women's rights, their right to live with dignity and self-respect. The paper highlights how Bama and Kamble urge Dalit women to stand up against multiple patriarchies and strive to understand their rights and responsibilities as women and as human beings.