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The European Parliament recommends EU legislation and policy measures to eliminate caste discrimination

In the European Parliament’s resolution on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World and the European Union’s policy on the matter, the European Parliament highlights caste discrimination and, “Recommends initiatives for EU legislation to ensure that attention is paid in EU human rights policy and cooperation instruments to eliminating caste discrimination, and action in caste-affected countries, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Yemen.”

April 24th, 2012|Access to justice, European Union|
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UN expert concerned about “high levels of impunty” in India

After recently visiting India, the UN expert on extrajudicial executions, Mr. Christof Heyns, expressed concern about the plight of Dalits in India and called on the Government of India to continue to take measures to fight impunity in cases of extrajudicial executions, and communal and traditional killings.

April 10th, 2012|Access to justice, India|
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Dalit human rights defenders need urgent protection says UN expert at UN Side-event

The UN Expert on Human Rights Defenders, Ms. Margaret Sekaggya, spoke out against the unacceptable situation faced by those defending Dalit human rights in South Asia, at a UN side-event, held on March 9th in Geneva, where panellists also included Dalit human rights defenders from several caste-affected countries in the region.

March 13th, 2012|Access to justice, South Asia|
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Dalits still working in bonded labour in the cotton industry despite some improvements, new report finds

Follow-up report highlights improvements but warns that root problems remain and bonded labour continues to exist in the cotton indsutry.

March 5th, 2012|Caste-based slavery, Dalit Children, India|
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IDSN Annual Report 2011 released

The IDSN Annual Report 2011 sums up the many positive developments in the struggle to end caste discrimination that the year has brought and outlines some of the remaining challenges that will keep us all engaged in this struggle for many years to come.

March 3rd, 2012|European Union, Political Participation, United Nations|
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UN expert deeply disturbed by the situation of Dalit human rights defenders in India

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders has released a report with a strong focus on the dire situation of Dalit human rights defenders, following her 2011 visit to India.

February 9th, 2012|Access to justice, India|
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Atrocities against Dalit women go unpunished – new study from Navsarjan Trust

Navsarjan Trust have released the study 'Gender Violence and Access to Justice for Dalit Women in collaboration with Minority Rights Group International. The report finds Dalit women face severe difficulties in accessing justice and are extremely vulnerable to violence, sexual abuse and other atrocities.

January 10th, 2012|Dalit Women|
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Opening the door to equal justice for Dalits in Nepal: OHCHR-Nepal disseminates its report

The United Nations Human Rights Office in Nepal (OHCHR Nepal) organized a regional symposium on access to justice for victims of caste-based discrimination. Challenges, lessons learned and good practices from Nepal were shared with participants from the country and other South Asian nations. The Office’s report - Opening the Doors to Equality: Access to Justice for Dalits in Nepal - served as the basis for the discussion.

December 14th, 2011|Access to justice, Nepal|
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Dalit women participate in the UN Forum on Minority Issues

Dalit human rights defenders from India, Nepal and Bangladesh voiced their concerns about effective political participation of Dalit women at the 4th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues. The thematic focus of the session, which was held in Geneva on 29-30 November 2011, was “Guaranteeing the rights of minority women”.

December 13th, 2011|Dalit Women, Political Participation, United Nations|
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AHRC Statement: India: Dalits should save themselves through justice reforms

A way to effectively address caste-based discrimination in India is by reforming institutions of justice administration. This means changing the manner in which institutions like the police, prosecution and judiciary function in the region. At the moment, what are obtained in the name of human rights are only empty promises. When public institutions of justice fail having a law to guarantee non-discrimination of Dalits is of no meaning. What is achieved in India will have tremendous influence in the region.

December 13th, 2011|Access to justice, India|
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