Dalit Women’s Movement Shifts to New Generations Amid Funding Constraints

The National Federation of Dalit Women (NFDW), founded in 1995 as Women’s Voice’s secretariat, is now led by a younger cohort. Funding shortfalls have limited programs to four southern states, prompting a strategic handover from senior activists to emerging leaders.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

Women’s Voice was founded in 1985 by Dalit feminist Ruth Manorama to give Dalit women a platform excluded from mainstream feminist and Dalit political movements. Although caste discrimination was outlawed in 1950, entrenched hierarchies still restrict Dalit women’s access to education, work, and safety. NFDW grew from this base into a national network.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

Ruth Manorama (73) remains the founder. Priyanka Samy (37), her daughter and former youth convenor, now guides succession. Agalya (23), a field coordinator, leads community education on rights, consent, and legal support.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

International donor support for human-rights work has declined, and contracts often demand measurable outcomes within three-year cycles. Leaders call such expectations “ridiculous” given the 2,000-year-old caste system. Domestic philanthropy and volunteerism now sustain most activities.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

Early campaigns focused on land rights; later generations added electricity, sanitation, and housing. Today the agenda includes education, digital safety, mental-health services, and online harassment, while sexual violence remains a constant concern.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

Manorama stresses that movements must survive across generations, urging younger activists to inherit and expand the work. Samy emphasizes personal accountability to the organization and broader movement, rooted in childhood exposure to inequality. Agalya describes her activism as a personal mission tied to her community background.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

Leaders argue that donor demands for rapid elimination of caste discrimination overlook the system’s deep historical roots and clash with the long-term structural change required.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

Agalya escorts domestic workers to police stations, files complaints, and provides legal assistance. In a recent meeting, children rallied neighbors to ensure attendance, showing grassroots enthusiasm for rights education.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

Current budget figures, program reach, and the exact number of active state-level collectives are not disclosed, limiting external assessment of the organization’s scale.

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

• “Movements have to be lit,” she says. “Maybe I will go on for another five or 10 years. After that, the second and third generations need to own it.” — Ruth Manorama, Founder, Women’s Voice and NFDW

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

• “Dinner table conversations on inequality, on justice, and on movements influenced me as a child,” — Priyanka Samy, NFDW core member and former youth convenor

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

• “Donors sometimes say they will fund you for three years, and expect caste-based discrimination to be eliminated,” she adds. “It’s ridiculous. We’re talking about a system that’s over 2,000 years old and is deeply entrenched in everything we do.” — Priyanka Samy

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations

• “I come from the same community,” she says. “For me, this is not just a job. It’s something personal.” — Agalya, Field Coordinator, Women’s Voice

Dalit Women’s Movement Adapts for New Generations