Conjugal Rights and Sexual Privacy among Scheduled Caste Households in Caste Settlement Colonies in Kerala

Abstract

Space in a household is not only a private commodity but also it has alternative uses. Scarcity and alternative uses of space compel occupants in a household to choose what they have to do with their limited space against unlimited spatial needs. A household becomes a ‘’home’’, when it serves spatial needs of its occupants and helps them to realize maximum potential of their capabilities. Space scarcity is reflecting not only existing standard of living of people but also acts as a predictor of their future attainments. In this article we present spatial conditions of scheduled caste households in caste settlement colonies in Kerala. We argue that present residential conditions and space availability among scheduled caste households in caste settlement colonies in Kerala cause denial of many human rights including conjugal rights and sexual privacy to them. We suggest that housing policies of the state must give more importance to qualitative aspects of ‘space’ in household rather than quantitative aspects like how many number of houses we add every year.