Global Perspectives on Gender Based Violence- Intersectionality and Interdisciplinary Space

In the paper an attempt would be made to locate the victim and the process of victimization in the everyday life of common folk. In Indian age old tradition folk tales and songs often played certain significant roles. They are reflective of the societies in which they were composed and compiled. Here the Buddhist Jᾱtakas has been chosen for plunging into the reality of women's past as reflected in the Buddha’s birth stories. As India is a land rich in literary traditions, it is important to know the women’s past as featured in ancient texts. . While looking into the stories we would focus on the social mechanism that reduced women into victims of the patriarchal world. The paper would trace how and on what occasions women formed the property of the patriarchy in herself. The question remains on the credibility of the folk stories and how far it could be realistic. The query could be resolved in the light of Indian tradition and the role played by the texts. Primarily Jᾱtakas, focus on Buddhist ethics and finding a Buddhist solution to everyday problems in the everyday lives of common people. What is worth noticing is in between lines of the texts and the psychological representation of the victims. How do we get to locate the victims in the tales would be an engaging exercise.

Keywords: Jatakas, Buddha, Women, Victim