Health is crucial component of life for both men and women. In India the health and hygiene condition of dalit women is very poor. Dalit women are marginalized from the society. The health condition of dalit women is alarming with high incidence of maternal mortality and infant mortality. According to National Family Health Survey data ,the average death of dalit women is 39.5 years. One in four dalit women in 15-49 years are undernourished. These women are much more likely to suffer from ill health. There are many causes of health issues in dalit women in which the basic causes are poverty and low status in the society. The basic problems inherit in slums are health hazards. Lack of basic services like drinking water, proper housing, drainage and sheet disposable services make slum population vulnerable and generate infection. Dalit women are living in slums represented a pathetic scenario in terms of ill health, low level of income, educational backwardness and unhygienic environment. Dalit women are generally deprived of good nutrition and sanitation facilities. They face difficulties with respect to affordability and availability of health facilities. They also lack of awareness regarding various health facilities. Bottom up approach is required to focus on the empowerment of dalit women. Present study was conducted in the Bhadurpur Block of the Darbhanga District. Total 400 Dalit women were selected for the study purpose. Results reveals that there were some types of awareness regarding health and hygiene in the respondents, but there is need of educating them regarding good practices of health and hygiene.
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Keywords: Dalit, Women, Health, Hygiene.