‘The heaven of film-making’: how a Dalit orphan got to tell her own story | Women’s rights and gender equality | The Guardian
A gift of a camera inspired Belmaya Nepali to rise above poverty and abuse to make documentaries
A gift of a camera inspired Belmaya Nepali to rise above poverty and abuse to make documentaries
Journalists, filmmakers, writers – all of them have but one purpose: to tell stories. Sometimes it takes years to find the one medium that is able to embody a story to its fullest, giving power and contours to ideas. Other times, it is the story itself that chooses the best way to be told by its very own protagonists. This is the case of “I Am Belmaya”, directed by Sue Carpenter, a 14-years in the making documentary narrating Belmaya Nepali’s life through her own eyes and life experiences.
Most of the 100 Dalit representatives of the people in the three tiers of government, who have gathered in Kathmandu to share their four years of experience, have said that the discriminatory attitude towards the community still remains deeply rooted in society and this is affecting their performance.
The trial for the Rukum (West) mass murder is still underway, more than a year since the incident. The families of the victims are getting increasingly worried if justice will ever be delivered.
On Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th International Dalit Solidarity Network, along with Tideturner Films, organised a virtual viewing of ‘I Am Belmaya’: a documentary made by Sue Carpenter and Belmaya Nepali about Belmaya’s journey to become a film-maker, centred mainly in Nepal.
The 20-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four Thakur men in UP’s Hathras district last September.
The gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl in a village in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh last September had caused a public outcry and weeks of protests. But a year on, the family of the victim has told Al Jazeera that their hopes for justice are fading as the case has dragged on. Of the 104 witnesses only 15 have deposed in the court so far, said Seema Kushwaha, the victim’s lawyer.
But What Was She Wearing? is India’s first feature-length documentary film shot by a all women crew that is centered on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act of 2013 and its deficiencies in enforcement.
After 11 years as the NHRF’s Executive Director Sandra Petersen is moving on to a new chapter and role in the organisation.
Narendra Jadhav, author of Untouchables: My Family’s Triumphant Escape from India’s Caste System, observes that every sixth human is an Indian and every sixth Indian is a Dalit. The simple fact that over 16% of India’s population were historically excluded by caste-based cruelty — one of the world’s oldest forms of discrimination — from holding power in society and were cruelly called and treated as “untouchables” is sufficient to value the importance of taking a Dalit perspective today.
The International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR), together with the National Coalition Against Caste Discrimination (NCACD) and other civil rights groups, have submitted a policy memo demanding the US Department of Justice recognize that civil rights laws prohibit caste-based discrimination in the United States and integrate and enforce this recognition into civil rights and non-discrimination guidelines.
A three-part report examining the challenges and opportunities available for the Dalit justice defenders’ community across South Asia in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India.
UNITED NATIONS: Five out of six multidimensionally poor people in India are from lower tribes or castes, according to a new analysis on global multidimensional poverty released by the United Nations on Thursday.
Dalit women human rights defenders across the country are working bravely and tirelessly to support survivors of sexual violence; sometimes at great risk to their own personal safety and security. Dalit WHRDs need to be supported by the government and other NGOs, and recognised for their exemplary work and struggle for social justice.
A year after the Hathras gang-rape case, Dalit women from across South Asia, came together to speak out about sexual violence and to discuss the systemic changes required to #EndCasteBasedSexualViolence
Situation of Dalit Women in India lecture given by Abirami Jotheeswaran.
Gerard Oonk, co-founder and former director of the National India Working Group (LIW), received a ribbon today from the mayor of Utrecht, Sharon Dijksma, during the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Arisa, formerly LIW.
Homeworkers, mainly women, are often engaged in informal tiers of apparel and footwear supply chains beyond the factory. Their precarious employment, out of sight of auditors and inspectors, combined with weak or absent legal protections, put them at risk of exploitation, and they have some of the worst pay and conditions of any workers in the value chain. The lack of visibility of homeworkers hampers the ability of international Brands and retailers to address the issues of homeworkers within their own supply chains. This is a toolkit to help businesses (and organisations working with them) improve transparency about homeworking within their supply chains.
The College has recently added caste to its nondiscrimination policy. With this, Colby has become the second educational institution in the nation to recognize caste in its policies.
IDSN member the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) Nepal brought together speakers and participants from across Nepal to discuss the negative effects of caste in Nepal and strategies for action. Topics covered included food security, economic opportunities, shelter, and WASH for the Dalit community and especially Dalit women. Participants also heard about efforts already being made to mitigate the problems faced by Dalit women in Nepal.