A prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius Fellowship’ was awarded to Shailaja Paik recently. The MacArthur Foundation has awarded a “Genius” grant of $800,000 (about Rs 6.7 crore). This fellowship is given to individuals who excel in any field; Shailaja Paik’s inclusion on this list reflects her tenacity and determination. But this journey was not easy. The position that Shailaja Paik has achieved is inspiring.
Who is Shailaja Paik?
Shailaja Paik is an Assistant Professor of History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati, USA. Her life was very difficult, she belonged to a Dalit community, and she completed her studies by living in a slum in Yerawada. Shailaja’s parents faced difficulties with her education, girls were given a good education. They had neither water facilities nor toilets etc. Dirt and garbage were spread all around the house.
Beginning of shailaja’s career
Shailaja holds a BA degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 1994. After that in 1996, she acquired an ‘MA’ degree. In 2007, she completed her PhD at the University of Warwick in Britain. She went to America with a fellowship from the university. Here she started teaching in college. From around 2008 to 2010, she started working as a visiting assistant professor of history at Union College.
She published her first book in 2014 titled ‘Education of Dalit Women in Modern India: Double Discrimination’. In this book, she wrote in detail about the challenges faced by Dalit women in Maharashtra in getting an education. After that, she published another book in 2022 titled ‘The Vulgarity of Caste: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India’. Through these books, Shailaja showed how caste and sexuality promote injustice in Indian society.
The most inspiring aspect of Shailaja’s journey is her journey from Yerawada to America. When she got the news of being selected for the MacArthur Fellowship, she was in America. Calling it the biggest achievement of her life, she said, “This is the biggest recognition of my life. As a Dalit woman and a woman of color, it is a proud moment for me to receive this honor.”
