Dalit women in Bangladesh

Estimates count 3.5 to 5.5 million Dalits residing in Bangladesh.

Dalit girls and women, who rank the highest in levels of illiteracy, often fall victim to prostitution and bonded labour trafficking. Discrimination against Dalit women is also reinforced by traditional norms and customs in Hinduism and Islam that deprive the women not only of control over property, but also over their own bodies. They are also excluded from participation in politics, community development and employment (1).
 
Dalit women in Bangladesh are also victims of political violence and the country witnessed a number of fatwas issued against women’s right to vote, accompanied by violent attacks (2).


References:

The Guardian (23rd November 2009)"We are not thought of as human" - How the Dalit women of Bangladesh are struggling to end generations of oppression by Mary Griffin.

 Resources:

The human rights situation of Dalits in Bangladesh, their socio-economic problems, legal and constitutional protections, and the issues of discrimination on the basis of caste and lower status - a joint NGO Submission by Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement, Nagorik Uddyog and the International Dalit Solidarity Network related to Bangladesh for the 4th UPR session, February 2009.

Dalit Women in Bangladesh – Multiple Exclusions – BDERM / Nagorik Uddyog

 Caste-based discrimination in South Asia – A study on Bangladesh by IIDS 2008.

Political Participation of Dalit Women in Dhaka city, Bangladesh by Farzana Islam