Dalit singer arrested and film on caste refused clearance – the right to expression curtailed in India

A documentary on the caste system and eating habits was withdrawn from a recent film festival in New Delhi. According to the BBC, the documentary “Caste on the Menu Card” was the only film among the 35 sent to India’s information and broadcasting ministry to be refused clearance for “technical” reasons last week. BBC’s Vikas Pandey spoke to the […]

|Categories: India, Political Participation|Tags: |

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Nepal – UN Members deeply concerned about caste discrimination and untouchability

PRESS RELEASE issued jointly by the Nepal Dalit National Social Welfare Organisation (NNDSWO), Dalit NGO Federation (DNF), The Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) and the Jagaran Media Center (JMC) on behalf of the Dalit Civil Society Organisations Coalition and by the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN). UN Nepal UPR Review calls for effective implementation of Caste-Based Discrimination law (Geneva, […]

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Yemen: Groundbreaking UNICEF survey reveals enormous welfare gap between Muhamasheen (“Al-Akhdam”) and the general population

Access to services Significant disparities are found in access to services such as water and sanitation, electricity, quality of housing. For example only 9% of the homes of Muhamasheen communities have piped water against 29% of the general population, and only 42% of Muhamasheen households have a latrine inside their dwelling. It was also found that over half of the […]

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Minority Rights Group urges Governments to ensure ‘no one is left behind’ as SDGs are adopted

Caste-related extracts from MRG briefing note on the Sustainable Development Goals Livelihoods In India, Dalits are presented as ‘untouchable’ and as a result 17 per cent of the population are ‘largely exiled from mainstream society’ due to work restrictions and other barriers. Health In terms of health outcomes, minorities and indigenous peoples continue to be left behind: In India, for example, though […]

|Categories: Bangladesh, Dalit Women, Education, India, Pakistan, South Asia, United Nations|Tags: |

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Stand up for Dalit rights at the UN SDG Summit 2015

A series of events including a protest rally are being organised at the UN summit on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 22-26th September in New York, by the Asia Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF) and other Dalit rights networks. The events culminate in a demonstration on the 26th September at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in NYC from 1:30-3pm. We urge those in New […]

|Categories: development, Human Rights Defenders, United Nations|Tags: |

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Dalit women tour Germany and the US to raise awareness of caste violence

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|Categories: Access to justice, Dalit Women, Diaspora, Human Rights Defenders, India, Key Issues|Tags: |

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Nepal Dalits demand inclusion as draft constitution goes to vote

The Dalit movement in Nepal has mobilized to protest against this draft constitution and have issued 9 demands to be incorporated into the constitution. Nine-Point Demand of Dalit Movement All Dalit rights and provisions should be included in the new constitution that were accepted and approved by the previous CA and the present CA Constitutional Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee […]

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Historic amendment to India’s caste atrocity legislation passed in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament)

It is hoped that the amendments will be a stepping stone towards curbing rampant caste discrimination and violence in India that all too often goes unpunished. While Dalit organisations and networks are celebrating this milestone achievement they are also aware that passage in the Rajya Sabha and implementation of this […]

|Categories: Access to justice, India|Tags: |

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Police action against Kathmandu protest organised by Dalit lawmakers and rights activists

During the rally, police allegedly used excessive force against protesters and Durga Sob, President of the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) and a number of other Dalit activists and CA Members were injured. On August 5, following appeals from among others, the Chair of the CA and FEDO, the government announced that it would form a committee to investigate into the […]

|Categories: Access to justice, Human Rights Defenders, Nepal, Political Participation|Tags: |

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New report: Low caste children suffer in India’s cottonseed industry

The report also finds that workers are paid far below minimum wages and are often working to repay their parents debts. The children are made to work 8-12 hours a day. Most are school drop-outs and those who do attend school in the off season struggle to keep up with their school work. Two thirds of the children are […]

|Categories: Business, Caste-based slavery, Dalit Children, India|Tags: |

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