The women's movement in India, while achieving significant milestones, has predominantly catered to urban, educated women, often sidelining the intersectional struggles of women from lower social strata.

Historical Leadership and Class Bias

• Early reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar focused on issues affecting upper-caste women - sati, widow remarriage, and education
• The movement's leadership remained concentrated among urban, English-educated women from privileged backgrounds
• Feminist organizations like All India Women's Conference (1927) primarily addressed concerns of middle and upper-class women
• Issues like dowry, domestic violence, and workplace harassment received more attention than caste-based discrimination and economic exploitation
• Recent data (2024) shows Dalit women constitute 16.2% of India's population but remain underrepresented in feminist discourse

Neglected Issues of Lower Strata Women

Economic Marginalization

• Manual scavenging affects over 1.3 million people, predominantly Dalit women, with minimal feminist mobilization
• Agricultural labor - 73% of rural women work in agriculture but face wage discrimination (₹205/day vs ₹318/day for men in 2023)
• Informal sector employment lacks social security, with 95% of women workers in unorganized sector

Caste-Based Violence and Discrimination

• Intersectional violence - Dalit women face sexual violence at rates 2.5 times higher than upper-caste women
• Access to public spaces - temple entry, water sources, and common facilities remain restricted
• Honor killings and social boycotts disproportionately affect lower-caste women in inter-caste relationships

Contemporary Disconnect

Emerging Recognition and Solutions

• Intersectional movements like Dalit Women's Federation gaining prominence since 2020
• Government initiatives - Stand Up India (2016) providing loans to SC/ST women entrepreneurs
• Legal frameworks - SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act amendments (2018) addressing gender-caste intersection
• Grassroots organizations like Gulabi Gang mobilizing rural women against oppression

The women's movement must embrace intersectionality to address how caste, class, and gender intersect, ensuring Article 15 and Article 21 protections reach India's most marginalized women.