Caste, class, and the many hierarchies of the social sector

A few years ago, Anubhuti, the anti-caste, intersectional feminist nonprofit I founded to support the development of marginalised communities, was nominated for a National Award. Winning would have brought significant credibility and funds to the organisation. My team and I spent hours on the application.

One of the steps in the process was a visit from the award’s seven-member jury, who wanted to learn about our programmes and how we work, and to evaluate whether we deserved the award. As someone from the Ghisadi nomadic tribe, I know the struggle of reaching such a stage, and so I did not…