Archive | Manual Scavenging

UN CERD review of India calls for stronger action to end caste discrimination

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has issued wide-ranging recommendations to India on segregation, caste-based violence, access to justice, bonded labour, manual scavenging, education and health. The Committee also reaffirmed […]

UN side-event highlights Dalit women’s leadership in the fight for justice

IDSN brought together #DalitVoicesForJustice, UN experts, civil society and Member States for our HRC62 side-event, Caste, Gender and Power: #DalitVoicesForJustice on 2 July at the UN Human Rights Council. The event highlighted the urgent need to […]

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 […]

Speaking out against caste discrimination at the Women at Work Conference

A unique event organised by the Norwegian Human Rights Fund brought together, activists, experts, trade unions and several international NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, IDSN and OSF.  In a session dedicated to addressing caste-based […]

The UN Special Rapporteur on Slavery highlights the deep-rooted and intersecting forms of discrimination as main causes of contemporary forms of slavery affecting minorities

At the 51st Regular Session of the Human Rights Council, Mr Tomoya Obokata, the Special Rapporteur on Slavery, will present his report focusing on the Contemporary forms of slavery affecting persons belonging to ethnic, […]

IDSN Annual Report 2020-21

The IDSN Annual Report 2020-21 covers key developments and activities within IDSN’s work under the thematic areas Dalit women and gender justice, business and human rights and equality and participation. The report can be […]

UN experts raise concern over caste-based slavery

UN experts spoke out about the links between discrimination and slavery at the webinar “Contemporary Slavery & Racial Discrimination: Civil Society Support to Survivors during the Pandemic” organised by the International Day for the […]
December 4th, 2020|Caste-based slavery, India, Manual Scavenging, Nepal, South Asia, United Nations|

South Asia: Authorities must urgently protect sanitation workers risking their lives on the COVID-19 frontlines

  AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, WATERAID AND INTERNATIONAL DALIT SOLIDARITY NETWORK JOINT PUBLIC STATEMENT 19 November 2020 As the UN marks World Toilet Day, Amnesty International, WaterAid and the International Dalit Solidarity Network call on authorities in India, Bangladesh, Nepal […]
November 18th, 2020|Bangladesh, Health, India, Manual Scavenging, Nepal, Pakistan, United Nations, Water and Sanitation|

IDSN engages with the UN Human Rights Council 45th session on caste, slavery and water and sanitation

IDSN issued recommendations to States, contributed to statements and observed and noted caste-relevant issues presented at the UN Human Rights Council 45th Session held in Geneva. IDSN International Associate, The International Movement Against All Forms […]
October 5th, 2020|Manual Scavenging, United Nations, Water and Sanitation|

Activists: Government funds India’s most marginalised are not reaching them

The Government have announced a rise in budgets allocated for the welfare of Dalits (Scheduled Castes) and Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) in India, however human rights activists are saying that the rise is irrelevant as […]