Indian American historian and professor Shailaja Paik, from the University of Cincinnati, has been awarded an $800,000 “genius” grant from the MacArthur Foundation for her pioneering research into the struggles faced by Dalit women in India. This prestigious fellowship is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate exceptional creativity and potential in their fields.
The MacArthur Foundation praised Paik for her deep exploration of the multifaceted experiences of Dalit women, revealing the systemic caste-based discrimination that perpetuates untouchability. As an affiliate faculty member in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Paik’s remarkable journey from Pune’s Yerwada slum to becoming a renowned academic has inspired many. Despite growing up in challenging conditions, she pursued higher education, obtaining a master’s degree from Savitribai Phule University and a doctorate from the University of Warwick.
Paik is the first individual from both the University of Cincinnati and the city of Cincinnati to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. She is also one of only 10 Ohio-based awardees since the fellowship began in 1981. Speaking with UC News, Paik emphasized how education and employment provided a path out of the slums, profoundly shaping her perspective on caste and gender.
Her first book, Dalit Women’s Education in Modern India: Double Discrimination (2014), sheds light on the dual challenges Dalit women face in Maharashtra. Her second work, The Vulgarity of Caste: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India (2022), delves into the lives of Dalit women in Maharashtra’s Tamasha tradition.
Paik’s research, focusing on the intersection of caste, gender, and sexuality, has earned her multiple honors, including fellowships from the Stanford Humanities Center and the American Institute of Indian Studies. With the MacArthur grant, Paik aims to continue her vital research and writing, further raising awareness of the struggles of Dalit women and the ongoing effects of the caste system in India.
