Poverty and Exclusion: Dalit Women's Schooling in Kerala, India

• In Event: 54.081 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: 54.081-11 - Engagement and Educational Attainment

Abstract

Kerala is located at the Southwest tip of the Indian peninsula and is celebrated as a Model of Development with indicators such low infant and maternal mortality and high adult literacy.. Women's education is considered an essential part of the Kerala government's development initiatives. This feminist qualitative study using postcolonial feminist theory and intersectionality explores how neoliberal forces are shaping Kerala’s education. Drawing from intergenerational narratives from daughters, mothers and grandmother from six Dalit families along with development document analysis, this study draws attention to the subjectivities and vulnerabilities of Dalit women in Kerala.

Author

• Sera Mathew, West Virginia University