Archive | Dalit Women

Dalit leaders speak at EU Human Rights Defenders Forum

Dalit Human rights defenders and a team from the IDSN secretariat took part in The European Instrument on Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) 2014 Forum on Protecting Those Who Protect. Asha Kowtal, General Secretary of the National Dalit Women’s movement in India, spoke about Dalit women human rights defenders as part of a panel while Henri Tiphagne raised the issue of shrinking space for human rights defenders in India from the floor.

June 5th, 2014|Dalit Women, European Union, India|

UN: Plight of Dalit women highlighted by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women

“The intergenerational nature of caste-based discrimination condemns women to a life of exclusion, marginalization and disadvantage in every sphere of life. Many of those women are denied an education and economic opportunities, and perform dangerous and unprotected work, including … modern forms of slavery,” stated the SR on Violence against Women, Ms. Rashida Manjoo, in her report following her mission to India.

May 5th, 2014|Bangladesh, Dalit Women, India, United Nations|

Human Rights Watch Report: India’s marginalized denied education

Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims are most at risk of dropping out of school and being denied an education in India – states the comprehensive report “They say we’re dirty” – Denying an Education to India’s Marginalised, just released by Human Rights Watch.

April 30th, 2014|Dalit Children, Dalit Women, Education, India|

Dalit girls exploited in India’s garment industry

A new report finds that Dalit girls in India's garment industry live in hostels, with little freedom of movement, are underpaid for long working-days and working under hazardous conditions.

April 20th, 2014|Business, Caste-based slavery, Dalit Children, Dalit Women|

Dalit women ignite the audience at the Women in The World Summit in New York

“Even if no one else recognizes us as human, we will shout it from the rooftops. … The shame is not on the women, the shame is on India,” said US Dalit woman filmmaker Thenmozhi Soundararajan in the talk she gave together with Asha Kowtal from AIDMAM, at the high profile Women in The World Summit in New York**. Uma Thurman introduced the talk by playing the part of a Dalit woman rape victim and NBC anchor Cynthia McFadden moderated the discussion.

April 9th, 2014|Dalit Women, Diaspora, India|

Dalit women in India stage month-long march for justice

For a full month Dalit women have marched in India to fight the vicious cycle of caste and gender discrimination that severely restricts the lives of Dalit women and subjects them to violence, rape and violations of their basic human rights in almost every sphere. They are marching to empower other Dalit women to stand up for themselves and join in the fight and they are demanding justice.

March 19th, 2014|Access to justice, Dalit Women, India|

UNICEF: Dalit girls most excluded from primary education in India

A report just released by UNICEF and UNESCO on out of school children in India highlights that Dalit girls have the highest primary school exclusion rate in India. The report also finds that half of the Pre-School age Dalit children are not attending school.

January 30th, 2014|Dalit Children, Dalit Women, Education, India|

UN Special Rapporteur calls for new measures to fight violence against women

The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Rashida Manjoo called for the adoption of different norms and measures to fight violence against women around the world and a binding standard of accountability at the international level.

December 16th, 2013|Dalit Women, United Nations|

Acquittals in massacre case shock Dalits

Almost 16 years after the savage killings of 58 Dalits in a Bihar village, the survivors’ fight for justice has suffered a severe blow. On 9 October, the Patna High Court acquitted 26 men who were sentenced for the crime three years ago.

October 14th, 2013|Access to justice, Dalit Women, India|

Dalit women desperately seeking justice

The National Tribunal on Violence Against Dalit Women, organised by AIDMAM, heard over 45 testimonies of Dalit women who had been subjected to kidnapping, murder, physical assault, sexual violence and other crimes against them, and have yet to obtain justice.

October 2nd, 2013|Access to justice, Dalit Women, India|