Dalit (from Sanskrit ‘dal’ which means to split, to crack, to break) is the name given to a group of people who have been historically considered outcasts in Hindu societies from South Asia (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh) and Eastern Africa (Somalia). Today, the Dalits, formerly known as “Untouchables”, have increasingly adopted the term “Dalit” as their way out of the social segregation imposed by the caste system.