Dalit Women and Water: Availability, Access and Discrimination in Rural India

The present study identifies the multiplicity of issues and challenges faced by dalit women in accessing water from common, often distant sources of water, across five Indian states. Their reality of poor availability of drinking water was worsened by limited access to common resources due to their caste identity. On account of their social exclusion, dalit women suffer from physical as well as mental anguish. Discrimination against them is rampant on account of untouchability, and verbal and physical abuse accompanied with violence, which is a very real part of their everyday lives