It is with heavy hearts that we bring the news that Suvash Darnal, a key leader in the Dalit movement, has passed away in a traffic accident in the United States.
The National Conference of Dalit Women organised by the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) took place in Kathmandu from the 11-13th May. The conference brought together Dalit women activists from 75 districts of Nepal; Human Rights activists, constitutional assembly members, researchers, representatives from UN and bilateral agencies and I/NGOs, members of the media; and international delegates from, India, Bangladesh, UK, Sweden, Hongkong, and Denmark.
Press Release - Copenhagen, May 30, 2011 (IDSN) --- The Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability Crime Elimination and Punishment Act, which was adopted unanimously by Nepal’s interim Parliament on May 24, prohibits the practices of ‘untouchability’ both in the public and private sphere. Dalit groups have advocated for two years to ensure that the law did not only extend to the public sphere, but also to the private. It is the first time that a law, which criminalises ‘untouchability’ practices in the private sphere, has ever been introduced.
IDSN have launched a YouTube Channel on www.youtube.com/IDSNVideo
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kyung-wha Kang, strongly urges Nepal to act to adopt new legislation to fight rampant caste discrimination in the country. The statements came in connection with Ms. Kang’s April visit to Nepal.
March was a very active month for Dalit women in Nepal who have been busy with activities to mark the International Women’s Day, the Social Women’s Forum and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The many active participants at the events confirmed that there are plenty of women ready to ensure discrimination against women in Nepal is a thing of the past.
On the International day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) and the National Dalit Commission (NDC) alongside the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Jagaran Media Center (JMC), have released statements urging the Nepal Government to live up to its commitments and do more to end caste discrimination in the country.
The latest IDSN newsletter once again underlines that caste discrimination is a serious international human rights issue.
More than 20 states referred to caste discrimination in their interventions during the Universal Periodic Review of Nepal. The Nepali government has expressed its support for a number of the recommendations made on 25 January in Geneva.
The IDSN January 2011 newsletter includes news that: Campaigners for Dalit rights finished 2010 on a strong note with lots of activities around Human Rights Day on 10 December and participation in various international events. In India, terrible atrocities against Dalits continued to make headlines, and in Nepal, the efforts to include strong provisions against caste discrimination in the constitution gained further momentum. The United Kingdom move closer to making caste discrimination illegal, as government commissioned research provided evidence of this form of discrimination in British society.
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