Structural Violence towards Indian Women
Bianca Thomas
Anthropology-102
10:20-11:10
Clinton Humphrey
November 18, 2018
Introduction
Structural violence happens every day, especially to those who have been oppressed and vulnerable by those who hold power. Paul Farmer research covers how the oppressed and vulnerable were the ones more targeted. He even explained that those who are oppressed marginalized into smaller groups so that one group of oppressed are treated unacceptably.
Paul Farmer definition of structural violence will be applied to demonstrate the concept of the high rates of domestic violence in India. The connotation of structural violence is the social structures that oppressed individuals. Few social structure such as class, hierarchy, gender and political components of structural violence indicating the domestic violence in India.
Structural Violence
The United States takes advantage of those who are oppressed, Mexican-migrant farm workers are enslaved by the United States farm owners working for long hours in unacceptable conditions for little pay. Unable to complain about the conditions considering that the migrant farm worker are vulnerable to those who are superior, for they determine if they will be deported as well as help them feed their families. A brief explanation of structural violence that Paul Farmer used in his research is an illustration of social injustice and hierarchies, broken down in social groups such as class, race, gender and sexuality. Among the social groups there is marginalization in these categories for they are process through time, creating a violence continuum.
Hierarchy and Class
Paul Farmer discussed that hierarchy and class are components of structural violence for those who are in high power have control and tend to abuse their power on those who are beneath them when it comes to class. Paul Farmer use an example of ethnic-labor hierarchy to demonated the works of hierarchy in a minor scale. On the farms there is system based on the level where one is on the hierarchy will determine the treatment one will be given.A brief explanation on the system is that there is the supervisor who could be the owner of the farm or someone who the owner appointed to direct the farm work, under is the workers who are United States citizens then undocumented Mexicans and these groups are split between men and women; men being first because they have more superiority over the women. However, there is marginalization between the undocumented Mexicans for they have had their own hierarchy before coming to the United States to find work. There is the Mexicans from the central region who are above the indigenous Mexicans, for some of the indigenous tribes do not know who to speak Spanish as well. Allowing the so the well spoken spanish speaking to take advantage of the indigenous on having a better chance on picking what jobs that they want to do and leaving the gruesome jobs for the indigenous Mexicans.
Gender
Women face structural violence on the field everyday for they are easier targets for the supervisor and as well as male farm workers. These men on the farms take advantage of these oppressed women, sexual assulting in other words raping them on the field; for knowing that they will not speak up in fear of being deported. These women who work on the farms have to help support their family or they are the only breadwinner for their family.Structural violence victimized the undocumented women everyday on the the level of they are seen as weak in the industry, for in the western culture a women must take care of a man and his needs even through this practice is not as popular as before, there are a few of those who still believe in that these women do not really have a say for they are below men on the hierarchy and class spectrum.
Structural Violence Among Indian Women
Women all over the world suffer from structural violence everyday, India is one of the largest nation and high populated countries in the world.In the Indian culture women are degraded by men because in the Hindu culture they do not believe a woman has a place they are only there to perform domestic work and men “There is no equality before the law or equal protection of law is not there since society has been arranged through a rigid system of social hierarchy based on caste†(Indian Cultural Values and the Promotion of Human Rights).
Social inequality
Indian women loses their identity through their culture allowing them to face sexual violence, forced marriage,sexual slavery and the worse case scenario is an acid attack (Dewan) that is what can happen if they decided to go against men. Social hierarchy determines the treatment that a women may receive in lower caste they are treated worse than someone who is in a higher caste “sexual violence is especially prevalent in rural areas where gender-based marginalisation is intensified by low social status. The NCRB has found that more than four women belonging to the Dalit caste – the lowest in Indian society – are raped each day†(Krishnan). These women in the lower caste are dependent on the men for food, shelter and anything thing else for they do not have an education; thus they must marry which happens at an extremely young age depending on which caste one is in. Indian families that belong in a higher caste parents will wait on marriage if their daughter(s) is in school and they want them to finish schooling now that the parents can marry their daughter(s) off to a wealthier family because she a much more to offer. Unfortunately family from a lower caste may not have the opportunity to send their daughter(s) to school so they arrange her to marry at a young age for they believe that is the best time to bear many children; one must remeber these young girls are marrying older men just so that they may help their family with money or land. The girls that are being married off to at a younger age are vulnerable and have a greater chance of being raped and physically abused by their husbands and can not do anything for they depend on them for everything.
Political
The Indian government does not have laws to help protect women from the acid attacks, sexual abuse or physical abuse. In matter of fact the Indian government appoints caste councils “The state enjoys the dubious reputation of having khaps, or caste councils, in many villages that dispense their own form of medieval justice to womenâ€(Krishnan). The caste council will punish the women for coming out for help if her husband beats her because in Hindu culture a women must not define her husband, so the council will publicly embarrass her by ostracised, parading naked or killing her allowing other women to see what will happen her if she defined her husband. Sexual violence has been normalized that capital punishment against offenders has failed to act as a deterrent the structural violence is that these women are so vulnerable and oppressed because these men literally have their lives in their hands.
Conclusion
In the final analysis Indian women are vulnerable and oppressed making them a victim of structural violence. Through culture and politics these women are persecuted to follow the laws men had created if not they will die. The Indian system has been processed through time to benefit men and oppressed women and it will be a long period of time until they are treated equal.
Works Cited
Dewan, Angela. “India Most Dangerous Nation for Women, US Ranks 10th in Survey.†CNN, Cable News Network, 26 June 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/06/25/health/india-dangerous-country-women-survey-intl/index.html.
“Indian Cultural Values and the Promotion of Human Rights.†Raden Ajeng Kartini: Indonesia's Feminist Educator | ヒューライツ大阪, HURIGHTS OSAKA., June 1997, www.hurights.or.jp/archives/focus/section2/1997/06/indian-cultural-values-and-the-promotion-of-human-rights.html.
Krishnan, Murali. “Sexual Violence Back to the Fore in India.†The Interpreter, The Interpreter, 18 Mar. 2018, www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/sexual-violence-back-fore-india