149 entries found
The EU’s 2025 Human Rights and Democracy in the World country reports include several references of relevance to caste-affected communities in South Asia. In Bangladesh, the report explicitly identifies discrimination against Dalits as a longstanding human rights concern. In Nepal, it highlights concerns that Dalits and other marginalised groups have not been meaningfully included in transitional justice processes and could be excluded from current reform debates, while also noting the continuing underrepresentation of women and minorities in political life. In India, caste is not addressed as a systemic issue, although the report notes continuing violence against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, alongside restrictions affecting civil society. The Pakistan chapter does not explicitly mention caste or Dalits, but raises related concerns including discrimination against minorities, child marriage, child labour, labour rights, and violence against women.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning forced conversion and child marriage in Pakistan and calling for stronger protection of girls from marginalised communities. Significantly, the resolution explicitly recognises discrimination based on caste, gender and religion among the root causes that must be addressed and calls for targeted protection, improved access to education and social protection, stronger investigations and access to justice. IDSN has raised these concerns over several years through submissions to UN mechanisms, regularly shared with EU institutions, documenting how forced conversion and marriage disproportionately affect Dalit girls. Earlier this year an IDSN delegation of Dalit activists visited Brussels to brief key decision-makers while Pirbhu Satyani of the Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network raised forced conversion and marriage during the European Parliament’s April 2026 hearing on caste discrimination in South Asia. The resolution also calls on the EU and Member States to raise these issues systematically in their dialogue with Pakistan, including in relation to Pakistan’s GSP+ trade preferences.
A delegation of Dalit human rights defenders visited Brussels in July to urge stronger EU action on caste-based discrimination in South Asia. In meetings with EU institutions, Members of the European Parliament, and civil society organisations, delegates called for Dalit rights to be integrated more systematically into EU human rights dialogues, development cooperation, trade relations and diplomatic engagement. The visit also explored opportunities to strengthen parliamentary attention and civil society advocacy on caste discrimination.
IDSN facilitated a series of advocacy meetings and outreach activities in Brussels involving Dalit human rights defenders that took place in December 2025. The visit created an important opportunity to bring first-hand perspectives from South Asia into exchanges with EU institutions on caste-based discrimination, human rights and democratic governance and contribute to ongoing strategy work on caste discrimination.
With growing evidence of labour exploitation across South Asia—this report provides an evidence- based analysis to assist the European Commission in identifying high-risk sectors connected to EU supply chains and in enforcing due diligence in line with the EU Forced Labour Regulation.
IDSN welcomes the adoption of the European Parliament’s report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2023, calling for concrete action to support the work to end caste discrimination. The report highlights caste-related obstacles to accessing justice, employment opportunities and the persistence of segregation and poverty. It underscores how caste-related barriers severely limit the exercise of basic human rights and human development. The European Parliament expresses serious concern over these issues, calling for an EU policy specifically designed to combat caste-based discrimination.
IDSN welcomes The European Parliament adoption of a comprehensive report on EU-India relations on 17 January. This report, while broadly focusing on various aspects of the EU-India relationship excluding trade, contains critical insights and recommendations pertinent to the issue of caste-based discrimination in India. Authored by MEP Alviina Alametsa, the standing rapporteur on India, the document follows up on previous work and provides a framework for addressing these human rights concerns.
Dalit activists forming part of the IDSN delegation made their presence felt at the 25th EU-NGO Forum on Human Rights in Brussels, Belgium held from 4-6 December, 2023. Sunil Kumar Pariyar from Nepal and Prameela KP from India joined the forum to highlight the challenges faced by Dalit communities in their respective countries and beyond.
The European Union has recently unveiled its Annual Report on Human Rights, shedding light on various global concerns. Notably, the report offers insights into the EU’s stance and interactions related to caste discrimination and the rights of Dalits.
European Parliament resolution of 18 January 2023 on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2022 (2022/2049(INI)) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0011_EN.pdf
The International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) welcomes the adoption of the European Parliament’s annual report on human rights and democracy in the world 2022 and the European Union’s policy on the matter. In addition to the calls by the European Parliament for the EU to adopt a “policy on caste discrimination” and “the adoption of an EU instrument for the prevention and elimination of caste-based discrimination” contained in previous annual reports, the 2022 report also calls on the EU to adopt specific local strategies to combat caste-based discrimination.
The impact on women of caste-based hate speech in the internet, so- cial media, and technology spheres
The report is focused on contemporary forms of slavery affecting persons belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minority communities. In that context, the Special Rapporteur identifies the main causes of contemporary forms of slavery affecting these groups and the main manifestations, such as chattel slavery; forced and bonded labour; domestic servitude; sexual slavery; child and forced marriage; and child labour.
In September and October, IDSN ran workshops designed to help members and affiliates understand the EU mechanisms and how to best engage with them.
IDSN Response to EU Call for Evidence in the framework of the drafting of an EU forced labour Instrument
In June, IDSN and a group of other civil society organisations met with Ahmed Shaheed, the current Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, in Brussels.
Speaking in New Delhi on April 25, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referred to India as a “vibrant democracy,” sharing common values and interests with the European Union. But these cliches, repeated by rote by European leaders seeking closer trade and political ties with India, do not reflect the reality of growing abuses and discriminatory policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule.
Open letter re Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive proposal1 adopted by the European Commission on February 23rd. Which lays down rules for companies to respect human rights and the environment in global value chains.
