Sharmila Rege - A Lifestory
Voice For Marginalized, Scholar Of Caste, Gender, And Social Justice
Sharmila Rege was a prominent Indian sociologist, feminist scholar, and author, renowned for her groundbreaking work on caste, gender, and education. Born in 1964, she dedicated her academic career to understanding and challenging the complex intersections of social inequalities in India. Rege made significant contributions to the field of sociology by centering the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities, particularly Dalit women. Her research meticulously examined the ways in which caste and gender operate as interlocking systems of oppression, shaping access to education, employment, and social mobility.
Rege held a professorship at the Department of Sociology, Savitribai Phule Pune University (formerly University of Pune), where she played a pivotal role in developing and implementing innovative curriculum that critically engaged with issues of social justice. She was a passionate educator, committed to fostering critical thinking and empowering students to challenge dominant narratives. Her work extended beyond academia, as she actively engaged with social movements and organizations working for the rights of marginalized communities. Rege's scholarship and activism were deeply intertwined, reflecting her commitment to translating academic knowledge into tangible social change.
Among her notable publications is "Writing Caste, Writing Gender: Reading Dalit Women's Testimonies," which is considered a seminal work in the field. In this book, she analyzed autobiographies and other writings by Dalit women, highlighting their experiences of castebased discrimination and patriarchal oppression. Rege's work not only shed light on the lived realities of Dalit women but also contributed to a broader understanding of the complexities of social inequality in India. Sharmila Rege's untimely death in 2013 was a significant loss to the academic community and the social justice movement in India, but her scholarship continues to inspire and inform critical conversations about caste, gender, and equality.
