Indian Church Addresses Violence Against Indigenous Women – OpEd

In the remote forests of Odisha, a 14-year-old Munda girl’s story of gang rape by non-tribal men represents thousands of similar cases that never reach public consciousness. “They told us to keep quiet if we wanted to live in peace,” her mother confides, highlighting the insidious cycle of silence that perpetuates violence against India’s Indigenous women (Gera, 2023). 

As Christians called to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Proverbs 31:8-9), this crisis demands our attention, action, and advocacy.

A Pattern of Institutional Neglect

Despite constituting 8.6 percent of India’s population, Indigenous women—officially recognized as Scheduled Tribes—face disproportionate levels of violence concealed behind institutional indifference. Human rights lawyer Shalini Gera estimates that “over 40% of Adivasi women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime,” with actual numbers likely higher due to chronic underreporting (Gera, 2023). This reality contradicts our fundamental belief that all humans bear the divine imprint of their Creator.

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (1989) offer theoretical protection, but implementation falls woefully short. Court records from five states with significant tribal populations show conviction rates under the PoA Act below 5% (Malhotra, 2022). As Supreme Court advocate Aditi Malhotra explains, “The legal system is not designed for Indigenous women. Language barriers, geographic isolation, and cultural insensitivity create insurmountable obstacles” (Malhotra, 2022).

The Church’s Prophetic Calling

This systematic injustice represents a direct challenge to the Church’s mission in India. Liberation theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez reminds us that “to know God is to do justice” (Gutiérrez, 1988). When confronted with the suffering of marginalized communities, neutrality is not an option for those who follow Christ, who proclaimed “good news to the poor” and “freedom for the prisoners” (Luke 4:18-19).

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has acknowledged this responsibility in their pastoral letter on gender justice: “Violence against women, particularly those from marginalized communities, represents a failure of society to honor God’s creation” (CBCI, 2020). This theological framework must now translate into concrete action.

Current Church Engagement

Across denominational lines, Christian organizations have stepped into the gap left by governmental neglect. The Christian Non-governmental Organization  (NGO) Chetna operates safe houses for survivors in Jharkhand and provides paralegal training to community volunteers. “When systems fail, we become the hands and feet of Christ,” explains Sister Mary Thomas, who coordinates their tribal outreach program (Thomas, 2021).

In Gujarat, the Jesuit-supported Adivasi Mahila Sangathan trains Indigenous women to document evidence, accompany survivors through medical and police procedures, and navigate court systems. These initiatives embody what Pope Francis describes as the Church’s call to be “a field hospital after battle,” providing immediate care to the wounded while working toward broader healing (Francis, 2013).

The ecumenical forum Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) has documented how less than 3 percent of the government’s Nirbhaya Fund, established after the 2012 Delhi gang rape, reached tribal areas between 2015-2022 (CASA Report, 2022). This data-driven advocacy exemplifies the Church’s prophetic role in speaking truth to power.

Theological Challenges and Opportunities

The crisis facing Indigenous women also challenges the Church to examine its own theology and practice. Tribal feminist theologian Limatula Longkumer argues that “the Church must confront patriarchal interpretations of scripture that have contributed to women’s subordination” (Longkumer, 2018). This requires what theologian Mercy Amba Oduyoye calls a “two-winged” approach that affirms both cultural identity and women’s dignity (Oduyoye, 2001).

Rev. Dr. Wati Longchar of the Senate of Serampore College emphasizes that “authentic Christian witness in tribal contexts must integrate justice for women with ecological concerns, as both reflect God’s shalom” (Longchar, 2019). This holistic framework recognizes how environmental degradation forces women to walk longer distances for water and firewood, increasing their vulnerability to assault.

The Path Forward

For the Church to fulfill its mission regarding Indigenous women’s justice, several imperatives emerge:

First, we must center Indigenous women’s leadership rather than positioning them as passive recipients of aid. As Meenakshi Munda asserted at a gathering in Delhi, “We do not need saviors telling us how to solve our problems. We need allies who will stand beside us as we dismantle the systems oppressing us” (Munda, 2023).

Second, the Church must allocate significant resources to this work. The World Council of Churches’ “Thursdays in Black” campaign against gender-based violence must translate into financial commitments to Indigenous-led initiatives (WCC, 2022).

Third, theological education must prepare clergy to address gender-based violence effectively. As Dr. Aruna Gnanadason writes, “Seminaries must equip ministers to recognize, respond to, and prevent violence against women, particularly in marginalized communities” (Gnanadason, 2020).

Fourth, Christian advocacy must address structural factors including land dispossession, militarization, and economic vulnerability that compound Indigenous women’s exposure to violence. This requires moving beyond charity models to solidarity approaches that challenge unjust power structures, as exemplified by Dalit Christian theology (Prabhakar, 2018).

Conclusion

The Santhal elder from West Bengal who stated, “Our struggle is not just against violence. It is for the recognition that our lives matter that we deserve justice not as an afterthought, but as our birthright,” articulates precisely the vision that should animate Christian engagement with this issue (Felix, 2022).

As followers of Christ who declared “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6), the Church in India is called to stand with Indigenous women in their pursuit of justice. This commitment emerges not from political calculation or cultural trend, but from the heart of the gospel itself, the good news that in God’s kingdom, the first shall be last and the last first (Mark 10:31).

The 14-year-old Munda girl’s story is not merely a statistic to be lamented, but a sacred life bearing God’s image that demands our collective action. May our response be worthy of her dignity and reflective of the God who “executes justice for the oppressed” (Psalm 146:7).

References

• Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). (2020). Pastoral Letter on Gender Justice. CBCI Centre, New Delhi.
• Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA). (2022). Allocation of Nirbhaya Fund to Tribal Areas 2015-2022. CASA Publications, Delhi.
• Felix, S.K. (2022). Indigenous Women’s Resistance and Resilience. Oxford University Press, New Delhi.
• Francis, Pope. (2013, September 19). Interview with Antonio Spadaro. La Civiltà Cattolica.
• Gera, S. (2023). Patterns of Violence Against Adivasi Women in Central India. Journal of Human Rights Practice, 15(2), 234-251.
• Gnanadason, A. (2020). Theological Education and Gender Justice. WCC Publications, Geneva.
• Gutiérrez, G. (1988). A Theology of Liberation. Orbis Books, Maryknoll.
• Longchar, W. (2019). Tribal Theology and Women’s Dignity. Asian Journal of Theology, 33(1), 56-72.
• Longkumer, L. (2018). Women in Tribal Societies and the Church. ISPCK, Delhi.
• Malhotra, A. (2022). Implementation Gaps in the PoA Act. Economic & Political Weekly, 57(11), 45-52.
• Munda, M. (2023, January). Address at the National Conference on Tribal Rights. Constitutional Club, New Delhi.
• Oduyoye, M.A. (2001). Introducing African Women’s Theology. Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield.
• Prabhakar, M.E. (2018). Toward a Dalit Theology. ISPCK, Delhi.
• Thomas, M. (2021). Church Response to Violence Against Indigenous Women. Indian Missiological Review, 43(2), 112-126.
• World Council of Churches (WCC). (2022). Thursdays in Black Campaign Report. WCC Publications, Geneva.