Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) Submission to Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls to the UN General Assembly on violence against women andgirls in sport - includes information on Dalit women and girls in Nepal and India
Joint submission by IDSN and Nepal NGOs to the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Woman (CEDAW) - 2024 review of Nepal. Highlight the need for action on caste and gender justice in Nepal.
his report documents the experience of Dalits, especially Dalit women, with systemic caste-based discrimination in Nepal, including the practice of untouchability, and the challenges they face in accessing justice. The report uses a human rights and intersectional lens, recognizing that systemic discrimination and inequality are the cause and consequence of several human rights violations, and that racism is a system of unequal power relations, which lead to human rights violations and barriers in accessing rights.
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.
In a significant development at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2024, Bangladesh’s review under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) highlighted critical recommendations focused on eliminating caste-based discrimination, with specific references to the plight of the Dalit community. These recommendations were crucially also accepted by the state.
The report, “No One Cares”: Descent-Based Discrimination against Dalits – documents the experience of systemic caste-based discrimination in Nepal and the challenges they face in accessing justice as the Nepali authorities’ existing legal and protective measures prove insufficient and fail to secure their human rights. The main takeaways of the report include: State of Nepal falls short to protect Dalits; distrust in the police and justice system, Inadequate and insufficient measures to address systemic caste-based discrimination, Culture of impunity, Dalit women and girls at risk Authorities in Nepal are failing to protect Dalits, particularly women and girls, from systemic and widespread caste-based discriminatio.
An IDSN delegation of Dalit human rights defenders participated in the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights held on 27-29 November as well as the UN Forum on Minority Issues, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 30 November – 1 December 2023. The delegation made an important impact giving statements and participating in panels, sessions and events.
On 30 September 2023, Probir Sircar, from IDSN’s affiliate organisation, Parittran, was invited by UPR Info, to deliver a statement during the pre-session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Bangladesh in Palais des Nations, Geneva. The event was organised in view of the upcoming Universal Periodic Review of Bangladesh, which will take place on 13 November 2023.
In March 2023, IDSN, Parittran, Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement, DALIT, and Nagorik Uddyog collaboratively submitted a report to the Universal Periodic Review Secretariat of the UN. This report, based on consultations ongoing since 2018, highlighted the situation of Dalits in Bangladesh.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a series of events focusing on combatting descent-based discrimination, through the prism of access to justice and the role of youth in South Asia, were held in Kathmandu. Spanning four days, from September 4th to 7th, 2023, the events were organized jointly by IPMS/Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) and the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFOD).
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.
Following IDSN’s ECOSOC accreditation last year, we were delighted to formally sponsor and host our first side event at the 53rd UN Human Rights Council. It took place on Wednesday 5 July 2023 and focused on ‘Addressing the intersection of caste and gender-based violence in South Asia’. The side-event was a great success with good participation and was also livestreamed. We thank the speakers, participants and co-sponsors: International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), FORUM-ASIA, Minority Rights Group and Human Rights Watch (HRW); and supporting organisations Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network (DHRDNet), The Blue Club, Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO), National Council of Women Leaders (NCWL), for making this a wonderful event. Do read the full article on the event and the statements by the speakers.
The outcome report on the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Pakistan has been published and will be adopted during the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council held from 19 June to 14 July 2023. The outcomes of the review have implications for all marginalised communities in Pakistan, including the Dalits, who form a significant portion of the religious and ethnic minority groups in the country. Ahead of the review IDSN participated in the UPR Pre-Session and submitted a joint stakeholder submission on the human rights situation of Dalits in Pakistan.
IDSN submitted a Joint NGO report on the situation of Dalits in Bangladesh in advance of the review of Bangladesh for the UPR mechanisms fourth cycle. The report critically evaluates Bangladesh's three previous cycles of the UPR, in 2009, 2013, and 2018, focusing on recommendations concerning ethnic and religious minorities and the Anti-Discrimination Bill accepted by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB). It also offers a comprehensive look at the country's progress in addressing caste discrimination and protecting Dalit rights, while shedding light on the work that still needs to be done.
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
During the 4th Cycle of the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of India, the country received recommendations on caste, including the need to ensure implementation of legislation to protect Dalits from discrimination and violence, develop an action plan to prevent caste discrimination in labour, protect Dalit women and girls from violence and sexual abuse, ensure equal access to services, and to step up efforts to end caste discrimination.
The Working Group on the UPR reviewed India in November 2022 and the outcome report was adopted at the Human Rights Council 52 March session in 2023. This report includes recommendations on Dalits, caste, hate speech, racism, water and sanitation, women and girls' rights and many more.
The impact on women of caste-based hate speech in the internet, so- cial media, and technology spheres
"In South Asia (and amongst South Asian diaspora communities) caste may be a strong, possibly unacknowledged, factor. Caste discrimination involves violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. While often outlawed, a lack of implementation of legislation and caste-bias within justice systems leave victims without protection in many countries. Dalits (people from the most oppressed or so-called lowest caste communities) may be excluded from some jobs and concentrated in lowest paid and hardest work.7 Being from a minority religion is also often a marker of vulnerability in South Asia, with some communities facing systemic discrimination within and beyond the workplace. Most homeworkers and factory workers in the leather footwear sector in Tamil Nadu, South India, for example are from Dalit and/or Muslim communities, and may face barriers to training and promotion which are invisible to outsiders.8 Gender, caste and religious difference may operate together to create barriers to homeworkers’ access to remedy and social dialogue. Dalit women homeworkers, for instance, may face very unequal power relations and discrimination in discussions with subcontractors or suppliers. They may have had less access to schooling. These multiple barriers explain why complaints and grievance mechanisms are rarely accessed by homeworkers. These barriers can be reduced by bringing homeworkers together, so that they discuss issues and collectively find solutions, and awareness-raising and capacity-building activities, giving them a collective voice through their own organisations and elected representatives. Key Questions: • What issues of gender, caste and religious discrimination do you need to consider in your production chain? • Consider gender, caste and religious composition of teams engaging with homeworkers, to ensure that information is reliable and to avoid pitfalls of hidden power dynamics. Working with a local NGO which is sensitive to issues of gender, caste and religion may help navigate these issues (see Recommended Civil Society Organisations page 22). Dalit Solidarity Network UK is a source of advice for businesses on measures to address the risks of economic exploitation and caste-based discrimination throughout their supply chains."