Archive | Key Issues

Review of the film Origin by IDSN Ambassador Aidan McQuade

IDSN Director, Meena Varma and IDSN Ambassador, Aidan McQuade were invited to a press screening of Film Director, Ava DuVernay’s new film Origin, a film inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s groundbreaking book – Caste: The […]

March 7th, 2024|Access to justice, Human Rights Defenders, India, Violence and atrocities|

IDSN welcomes Renu Sijapati as the first Dalit woman from Nepal to be chair of the IDSN Board

IDSN is delighted to announce the appointment of  Ms Renu Sijapati as the first Dalit woman from Nepal to be elected chair of the IDSN board following approval of the board at IDSN’s General […]

March 4th, 2024|Dalit Women, Human Rights Defenders, Nepal|

EU-India report calls for an EU strategy on addressing caste discrimination

IDSN welcomes The European Parliament adoption of a comprehensive report on EU-India relations on 17 January. This report, while broadly focusing on various aspects of the EU-India relationship excluding trade, contains critical insights and […]

January 22nd, 2024|Access to justice, Business, Dalit Women, European Union, India, Violence and atrocities|

Dalit voices resonate in Brussels: IDSN takes part in the EU NGO Forum 2023

Dalit activists forming part of the IDSN delegation made their presence felt at the 25th EU-NGO Forum on Human Rights in Brussels, Belgium held from 4-6 December, 2023. Sunil Kumar Pariyar from Nepal and […]

Advocating for equality: IDSN delegation addresses challenges faced by Dalits at key UN Forums

An IDSN delegation of Dalit human rights defenders participated in the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights held on 27-29 November as well as the UN Forum on Minority Issues, held at the […]

Youth at the forefront: Kathmandu events boosts advocacy to end caste/descent-based discrimination

Marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a series of events focusing on combatting descent-based discrimination, through the prism of access to justice and the role of youth in […]

UN Human Rights Council Regular Session 53 Activities

Since receiving our ECOSOC status in December of 2022, IDSN was finally able to participate in its own right in the 53rd Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council. IDSN highlighted the need […]

Caste and gender-based violence addressed at IDSN’s first UN side-event

Following IDSN’s ECOSOC accreditation last year, we were delighted to formally sponsor and host our first side event at the UN 53rd Human Rights Council. It took place on Wednesday 5 July 2023 and focused […]

July 26th, 2023|Access to justice, Bangladesh, Dalit Women, India, Nepal, Pakistan, United Nations|

UN HRC 53 SIDE-EVENT: Addressing the Intersections between Caste and Gender-Based Violence in South Asia

IDSN is hosting a side-event at the 53rd UN Human Rights Council meeting on 5 July 2023, from 11-12 CET in Room XXV at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The event, entitled “Addressing the […]

June 26th, 2023|Bangladesh, Dalit Women, India, Nepal, Pakistan, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|

Pakistan UPR review: caste-related recommendations

The outcome report on the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Pakistan has been published and will be presented during the 53rd session held from 19 June to 14 July […]