In Conversation With Abirami Jotheeswaran: Dalit Human Rights Activist (Feminism in India)

#NoCasteLeftBehind Report: Caste and Gender Justice

Intersectional caste and gender discrimination leaves Dalit women and girls as some of the furthest behind when it comes to achieving the UN Global Goals and therefore this type of discrimination needs special focused attention. Dalit women are leading the way by standing up for their rights, they need global solidarity and justice to catalyse their access to rights and dignity. In this publication we highlight some of the key challenges faced by Dalit women and girls in relation to the specific UN Global Goals and targets and offer advice on what you can do to stand in solidarity with these women and be a catalyst of change

New EU human rights guidelines highlight the need to address caste in EU’s external action (IDSN News)

IDSN welcomes the new EU Human Rights Guidelines on Non-discrimination in External Action, where caste is mentioned several times as a form of discrimination that must be addressed. It is specified in the guidelines that the term ‘descent’, “includes discrimination against members of communities based on forms of social stratification such as caste and analogous systems of inherited status”, and that the EU should, “Participate actively in UN mechanisms and processes dedicated to general and specific discrimination related issues such as … discrimination based on caste (work and descent)”. The guidelines also state the EU must encourage and support active participation of civil society in multilateral fora and mechanisms in relation to discrimination based on caste (work and descent).

MEP’s ask EU to act to end the unjust blocking of IDSN’s UN accreditation (IDSN News)

MEPs ask EU to act to end the unjust blocking of IDSN’s UN accreditation Several high-profile members of the European Parliament have sent a letter to the EU High-Representative for Foreign Affairs, Frederica Mogherini, asking the EU to take action to support IDSN’s 10-year quest for UN accreditation, at the UN NGO Committee.

IDSN submission on India to the UN Human Rights Committee 2019

IDSN and The National Dalit Movement for Justice (NDMJ)-NCDHR have submitted input to the UN ahead of the adoption of the list of issues for the 126th session for India. The submission sets out some key concerns about violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant) vis-à-vis the Constitution of India with regard to Dalits and Adivasis. IDSN member Human Rights Watch has also raised the issue of caste discrimination in the HRW submission to the UN ahead of the review.

Consultation on global action to address discrimination based on work and descent held in Senegal (IDSN News)

On April 9-11 IDSN supported the Dakar Consultation on Global Partnership and Joint Actions in Addressing Discrimination based on Work & Descent – DWD, Untouchability, Contemporary Forms of Slavery and Analogous Forms of Discrimination that looked at caste and analogous forms of discrimination across the world to ensure joint actions and strategies to combat this form of discrimination. Information was shared and new initiatives formed and at the end of the consultation a Declaration was published as well as a summary report.

US blocking of Gay McDougall for UN anti-racism committee is a major setback for the fight against racism, says MRG (Minority Rights Group)

The decision of the government of the United States of America (USA) not to back the candidature of Ms. Gay McDougall for the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is a setback in the fight against racism in the United States and around the world. ‘The disappointing news about the failure of the USA to maintain a presence on CERD comes at a time of growing intolerance and hate in society’, says Joshua Castellino, MRG’s Executive Director.

Oxfam: Caste and gender underpin employment inequality in India (IDSN news)

Inequality in employment along caste and gender lines is a massive obstacle to alleviating poverty and inequality in India, finds the Oxfam India report ‘Mind The Gap – State of Employment in India’. The report documents striking disparities in wages and opportunities. The report also highlights the strong links between caste and gender discrimination and forced, bonded and child labour as well as hazardous work. Read a caste-related summary of the Oxfam report

Pushing for progress for Dalit women in Nepal (FEDO E-bulletin Jan-March 2019)

IDSN’s member, the Feminist Dalit Organisation in Nepal (FEDO), has issued an e-bulletin with inspirational stories of their work to push for meaningful political participation of Dalit women and fight against discrimination and injustice. Read the FEDO E-bulletin from Jan-March 2019

The silent death of workers in India (Equal Times)

“Looking at the labour hierarchy means looking at the caste hierarchy. You are just as unlikely to find any upper class Hindus performing manual labour as you are to find high-risk jobs not being performed by lower castes, Dalits (untouchables) or Adivasis (tribal populations),” says Gautam Mody, secretary general of the New Trade Union Initiative. Every day three workers die in the factories of India. A sewer and gutter cleaner dies every week. None of them are of high caste.

From where I stand: “Local and global political and economic systems create and maintain social inequality” (UN Women – article)

Article by UN Women on Durga Sob, founder of IDSN’s member organization the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO). She is among the 500 activists meeting in Tunisia from 24-26 April for the Tunis Forum on Gender Equality to take stock of the progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, nearly 25 years on. Read the full article by UN Women

Dalit women against an ancient system of discrimination (I Defend Rights Internview)

I Defend Rights interview Dalit women leaders in India, Manjula Pradeep and Asha Kowtal, who explain and challenge the caste system that has deemed hundreds of millions of Indians untouchables.

India’s Poverty Profile (World Bank 2016)

Poverty Statistics - India from the World Bank

Policy Brief Ground Down by Growth: Oppression, Discrimination and Exploitation of Adivasis and Dalits in 21st century India (LSE)

This Policy Brief reports on oppression and discrimination against Dalits (the ex-untouchable castes) and Adivasis (tribal groups) perpetuating labour exploitation and land alienation, entrenching poverty and inequality in India. Dalits (officially called Scheduled Castes by the Indian Government) and Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes), account for 200 million and 100 million people respectively, together making up one-quarter of the Indian population, and one in twenty-five of the global population. This brief is based on research carried out across India by the Programme of Research on Inequality and Poverty, Department of Anthropology, London School of Economics.

Dalit Women in Corporate India are Being Left Behind (The Wire)

While companies are increasingly aware of the need for a 'feminist' narrative within the organisation, the corporate sector as a whole ignores the reality of caste and the effect this has on the workplace.

Discrimination Based On Work And Descent and Untouchability: Global Profile and a Common Framework To Eliminate the Practice (ADRF, Amnesty International and Inclusivity Project 2018 publication)

India: The Dalit women of Tamil Nadu fight caste, the patriarchy, and climate change (Slate)

The Dalit female farmers of India’s Tamil Nadu state are working together to overcome a daunting set of challenges.

Study reveals caste-based segregation in Bengaluru (The Hindu)

A first-of-its-kind snapshot of the distribution of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes community in the city reveals a patchwork of caste-segregated neighbourhoods where socio-economically backward castes are ghettoised. In 40% of blocks, SC/ST community constitutes less than 5% of residents.

Study finds discrimination in flood relief work (Times of India)

While 84% and 89% of those in general and OBC categories, respectively, received the government-announced immediate assistance, the percentage of Adivasis and Dalit Christians, who received the assistance, were 62% and 68%, respectively. The last minute changes in the eligibility criteria made the assistance inaccessible to a large number of the marginalised people, the fact sheet said.

‘Internet opening space for new voices, but women face harassment online’ (Indian Express)

Asha Kowtal of AIDMAM-NCDHR comments on the Dalit Women Fight movement and online harassment.