Donate | Newsletter
Archive | Access to justice

States urge Nepal to strengthen action against caste discrimination in 2026 UN rights review outcome

During Nepal’s fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR), UN Member States’ recommendations called for stronger action against caste-based discrimination, “untouchability”, and related patterns of exclusion and violence affecting Dalits, including Dalit women and Dalit children. Nepal’s review took place on 21 January 2026 during the […]
February 3rd, 2026|Access to justice, Dalit Women, Nepal, Political Participation, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|
Read More

IDSN highlights milestone and the need to address caste discrimination at ICERD 60th Anniversary

On 4 December 2025, the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) joined global human rights leaders at United Nations HQ in Geneva for the High-Level Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the International Convention on […]
December 14th, 2025|Access to justice, Caste-based slavery, Caste-hate speech, Dalit Children, Dalit Women, Human Rights Defenders, Political Participation, South Asia, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|
Read More

IDSN delegation highlights urgent concerns ahead of Nepal’s 2026 UN rights review

From 24–28 November, IDSN facilitated a delegation of Dalit human rights defenders from Nepal to come to Geneva for advocacy meetings ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) pre-session of Nepal, as well as […]
December 12th, 2025|Access to justice, Caste-based slavery, Caste-hate speech, Dalit Children, Dalit Women, development, Education, Human Rights Defenders, Nepal, Political Participation, United Nations, Violence and atrocities, Water and Sanitation|
Read More

UN Minority Forum: Dalit activists call for action on caste-based violence, intersectional discrimination, shrinking civic space and labour rights

At the Eighteenth session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues in 2025, IDSN delegates highlighted the urgent need to address caste discrimination, violence and exclusion across South Asia. Dalit delegates from South Asia […]
December 1st, 2025|Access to justice, Bangladesh, Business, Caste-based slavery, Caste-hate speech, Dalit Children, Dalit Women, development, Education, Human Rights Defenders, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Political Participation, South Asia, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|
Read More

UN Advocacy Update: June–November 2025

Over the past months, IDSN has been actively engaging across the UN Human Rights Council, the General Assembly and with several Special Rapporteurs to ensure that addressing caste discrimination remain firmly on the international […]
November 18th, 2025|Access to justice, Bangladesh, Business, Caste-based slavery, Climate, Dalit Children, Dalit Women, Education, India, Living conditions, Manual Scavenging, Nepal, Pakistan, Political Participation, Poverty, South Asia, United Nations, Violence and atrocities, Water and Sanitation|
Read More

Dalit leader urges action to address the situation of Dalit women at UN CEDAW Review of Nepal

On 3 February 2025, Durga Sob, founder of the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) and a leading advocate for Dalit women’s rights, delivered a statement in connection with the 90th Session of the UN Convention on […]
February 20th, 2025|Access to justice, Dalit Children, Dalit Women, Human Rights Defenders, Nepal, Political Participation, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|
Read More

UN Minority Forum: Dalit activists call for action on caste-hate speech, political inclusion and intersectional discrimination

At the 2024 UN Forum on Minority Issues, IDSN delegates called for action on caste-based discrimination and exclusion. Sundar Bahadur Sheni from Nepal emphasised the need for Dalit inclusion in political and public spaces, […]
December 13th, 2024|Access to justice, Human Rights Defenders, India, Nepal, United Nations|
Read More

Dalit leader trains EU diplomats on caste-based discrimination

Abirami Jotheeswaran, General Secretary of All India Dalit Women Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM-NCDHR), delivered a compelling presentation to 20 European Union diplomats stationed in Asia and the Pacific, highlighting caste discrimination and its intersections with […]
December 11th, 2024|Access to justice, Dalit Women, European Union, Human Rights Defenders, India|
Read More

UN Review of civil and political rights in India calls for action on caste discrimination

In July 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Committee reviewed India’s adherence to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Committee expressed serious concerns about ongoing caste-based discrimination and violence, particularly […]
October 13th, 2024|Access to justice, Dalit Women, India, Political Participation, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|
Read More

Dalit women call for global action at #LetsTalkAboutCaste UN side-event

Dalit women human rights defenders highlighted the need to explicitly address caste discrimination, as a root cause of widespread human rights violations, at a UN Human Rights Council IDSN side-event on 18 September 2024. The […]
September 23rd, 2024|Access to justice, Bangladesh, Caste-based slavery, Dalit Children, Dalit Women, Education, Human Rights Defenders, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Poverty, South Asia, United Nations, Violence and atrocities|
Read More