National Federation of Dalit Women
The National Federation of Dalit Women (NFDW) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting the rights of Dalit women internationally. NFDW was founded by Ruth Manorama in 1995.
History[edit]
The National Federation of Dalit Women (NFDW) was begun as an idea in 1993 by Ruth Manorama when she helped organize a hearing in Bangalore on the topic of violence against Dalit women.[1][2] This led to NFDW being founded in 1995.[2] Later at the World Conference on Women in Beijing, NFDW participated, with Manorama being the group's representative.[3]
NFDW created several early goals, including creating several national and state-level committees, tracking crimes against Dalit people, creating resources and providing scholarships for Dalit women's educations.[4] In 2001, NFDW with Manorama, participated in the World Conference Against Racism, where they "translated and discussed caste discrimination in a manner that seemed to amplify its global resonance."[5] In 2006, NFDW, along with the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) held the first national conference on violence against Dalit women in the city of New Delhi.[5]
About[edit]
The organization is secular, democratically controlled and works on Dalit women's issues and also represents Dalit women both nationally and internationally.[6][7] NFDW works with local and regional Dalit women's groups to share issues and concerns with one another.[5] NFDW also helps women take legal action against violence and helps provide leadership opportunities.[8]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ Bhattacharya, Swarnima (27 August 2016). "The Making and Unmaking of a Dalit Woman Leader". The Wire. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
- ^ a b "Women Empowerment: Dr Ruth Manorama, President, National Alliance of Women". Challenger Awards. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
- ^ Smith 2008, p. 9.
- ^ Mehta 2017, p. 233.
- ^ a b c Mehta 2017, p. 234.
- ^ Subramaniam, Mangala (2006). The Power of Women's Organizing: Gender, Caste, and Class in India. Lexington Books. pp. 59–60. ISBN 9780739113288.
- ^ Mehta 2017, p. 232.
- ^ Manorama, Ruth. "Background Information on Dalit Women in India" (PDF). Right Livelihood Award. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
Sources[edit]
- Mehta, Purvi (2017). "Dalit Feminism at Home and in the World: The Conceptual Work of 'Difference' and 'Similarity' in National and Transnational Activism". In Molony, Barbara; Nelson, Jennifer (eds.). Women's Activism and "Second Wave" Feminism: Transnational Histories. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781474250511.
- Smith, Peter (Jay) (June 2008). "From Beijing 1995 to the Hague 2006 – The Transnational Activism of the Dalit Women's Movement" (PDF). Canadian Political Science Association Annual Meeting.