Archive | Key Issues

NGOs call for ban on Haliya system

The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and the Jagaran Media Center, a Nepalese NGO, are urging the UN Human Rights Council to ensure that Nepal ends the Haliya system of bonded labour. Most Haliyas are Dalits.

August 30th, 2010|Caste-based slavery, Nepal|

Pakistan floods hit Dalits hard

Thousands of Dalit families in Pakistan’s Sindh province are thought to be affected by flooding and now face discrimination during relief efforts.

August 20th, 2010|Humanitarian Aid, Pakistan|

Child labour: EU’s India policy under scrutiny

Two new reports on child labour in the Indian seed industry have prompted a Dutch member of the European Parliament to ask questions about the EU’s relations with India - including the issue of Dalits.

July 22nd, 2010|Caste-based slavery, Dalit Children, European Union, India|

Dalit documentary viewed by 100,000

More than 100,000 viewers have watched the powerful short documentary ‘I’m Dalit how are you?’ on Youtube.

April 19th, 2010|Education, India, Manual Scavenging|

India’s Dalits celebrate Dr. Ambedkar

On 14 April, Dalit communities across India will celebrate the 119th birth anniversary of the spiritual father of the Dalit movement and architect of the Indian constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

April 13th, 2010|Caste-based slavery, India|

Nepal: Dalit girl murdered – risk of poor investigation

An eight-year old Dalit girl in Nepal may have been the victim of a sacrificial murder because of her caste status. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned that the local authorities may not do enough to investigate the crime.

February 11th, 2010|Dalit Children, Nepal|

Nepal urged to address constitutional gaps

A new report provides Nepal’s Constituent Assembly (CA) with a clear roadmap for ensuring the rights of all Nepalese people, including the country’s sizeable Dalit population.

February 10th, 2010|Access to justice, Nepal|

Caste systems obstruct South Asian education

A new UN report finds that India is still home to the world’s largest illiterate population. The report states that caste systems in South Asia have a negative effect on education opportunities.

January 27th, 2010|Education, South Asia|

A Dalit view on climate change

Three Dalit women from Andhra Pradesh took part in a protest outside the conference area of the UN climate talks by ceremonially burning their conference badges. They felt that their voices had not been heard in the COP15 process.

December 17th, 2009|Dalit Women, United Nations|

“We are not thought of as human”

The Guardian has published an investigation into the lives of Dalit women in Bangladesh. The author of the article, Mary Griffin, came second in the British newspaper’s International Development Journalism Competition.

November 26th, 2009|Bangladesh, Dalit Women|