Dalit Girls and Sexual Harassment in the University

Abstract

Little is known about the frequency, severity and types of violence dalit women go through in higher education institutions in India. This article explores the lived experiences of dalit girls in a university in North India and elaborates their experiences of sexual harassment in their everyday social interactions on campus. This issue has been gaining more attention recently, but most studies focus on gender, not caste. How do dalit girls experience sexual harassment in ways that differ from harassment suffered by upper caste girls? This article focuses on the specificities of dalit girls’ experiences in a university which is controlled by the upper castes and dominant classes. It also highlights the ways in which dalit girls articulate and interpret sexual harassment, and the circumscribed ways in which they try to negotiate with their predicament while seeking higher education.