Dalit women in India face layered marginalization at the intersection of caste, gender, and socio-economic inequalities, particularly in the realm of health and medical access. This article examines maternal and reproductive health, nutrition, and healthcare inequalities among Dalit women, analyzing how structural discrimination shapes access to medical services and outcomes. Drawing on feminist and intersectional frameworks, the study combines qualitative analysis of ethnographic studies, policy reports, and health surveys with critical engagement with public health literature. The methodology emphasizes relational analysis, tracing how social hierarchies, cultural practices, and institutional biases intersect to produce differential health outcomes. The article also considers the role of traditional medicine and local health practices as sites of both resistance and adaptation. Findings indicate that Dalit women navigate healthcare systems strategically, negotiating constraints imposed by caste, gender norms, and economic precarity, revealing both resilience and structural vulnerability. The study concludes that addressing health inequalities requires feminist-informed policy interventions that integrate cultural understanding, structural reform, and participatory approaches to healthcare. By foregrounding Dalit women’s experiences, this article contributes to an intersectional understanding of health justice and feminist praxis in contemporary India.
Dalit feminism, maternal health, reproductive health, caste-based health inequality, nutrition, healthcare access, traditional medicine, intersectionality, public health, India
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