Intersectionality: Caste, Gender, and Class in Indian Politics

6.1 The "Double Burden" of Dalit and OBC Women

Political science research (Nandini Deo, Zoya Hasan) shows that Dalit and OBC women face intersectional disadvantage — they are marginalised both as women AND as members of marginalised castes. Even within reservation frameworks:

• SC/ST women quota within SC/ST reserved seats — but not always filled by women
• Women's reservation in panchayats has benefited SC/ST women proportionally more than LS/state assembly seats
• Party ticket distribution: Even Congress and SP/BSP — parties claiming to represent lower castes — give fewer tickets to Dalit women than Dalit men

Successful examples of Dalit women in politics:

• Draupadi Murmu — India's first tribal woman President (2022–present), member of Santali community
• Mayawati — Chief Minister of UP (4 times), BSP chief; Dalit woman in highest state executive office
• K. K. Shailaja — Kerala Minister; ASHA workers' mobilisation exemplar

6.2 Women's Political Autonomy: Self-Help Groups as Political Schools

The NABARD-SHG linkage programme (1992) and NRLM (National Rural Livelihoods Mission, 2011) have created 10+ crore women in Self-Help Groups across India. SHGs function as political training grounds through several pathways:

• Monthly meetings develop public speaking and collective decision-making skills
• SHG members access banks, government offices, and PDS — building administrative literacy
• SHG networks have been used by political parties (especially Congress in UPA-I) to build grassroots women's outreach
• Kudumbashree in Kerala (900,000 women SHG members) is the most successful example of SHG → local governance → political participation pipeline

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