609 entries found
From 24–28 November, IDSN facilitated a delegation of Dalit human rights defenders from Nepal to come to Geneva for advocacy meetings ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) pre-session of Nepal, as well as participation in the pre-session meeting. The visit enabled key Dalit human rights defenders to brief recommending States on ongoing caste and intersectional discrimination and the urgent need for stronger protections before Nepal’s UPR in January 2026.
At the 14th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, the IDSN #DalitVoicesUN delegation engagement underscored the urgent need to recognise caste discrimination in global supply chains and human-rights due diligence. Through active engagement in multiple sessions, the focus was on the importance of rights-based, people-centred frameworks aligned with international standards.
On 4 December 2025, the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) joined global human rights leaders at United Nations HQ in Geneva for the High-Level Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). IDSN Executive Director, Meena Varma, spoke on Panel 2: “Realizing the Promise of Equality Without Distinction as to Race, Colour, Descent, or National or Ethnic Origin.” She underscored that caste discrimination — recognised by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) as falling under “descent” — must be treated as a priority under ICERD’s mandate. Speaking about the millions affected globally by caste and analogous systems of inherited inequality, she highlighted that caste discrimination remains one of the most entrenched and intersectional forms of human rights abuse today and called for action.
At the Eighteenth session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues in 2025, IDSN delegates highlighted the urgent need to address caste discrimination, violence and exclusion across South Asia. Dalit delegates from South Asia raised concerns around institutional impunity, structural marginalisation of Dalit women and the shrinking civic space for human rights defenders. They also emphasised the vital contributions of Dalit women workers and activists in fostering accountability, dignity and social cohesion at local and global levels
This factsheet by Amnesty International gives a brief introduction to states, civil society organizations, community groups, activists, and concerned individuals on how to formulate more useful recommendations to address descent and caste-based discrimination when engaging with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
The policy paper details how women from communities discriminated on the basis of work and descent (e.g. Dalit, Haratine etc.) suffer overlapping, structural discrimination combining gender, caste or descent, and socio-economic marginalization. It shows that these women face exclusion from basic services, disproportionate poverty, unsafe and informal employment, violence and harmful traditional norms, lack of political voice, and barriers in education and health. The report underscores that existing laws and policies often fail to reach them, either through weak implementation or because they are not designed with descent- and gender-sensitive lenses. It offers examples of promising practices and calls for state and UN actors to adopt intersectional approaches: data disaggregation, legal recognition of descent-based discrimination, targeted policy action, meaningful participation of affected women, and stronger accountability mechanisms.
On 3 February 2025, Durga Sob, founder of the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) and a leading advocate for Dalit women’s rights, delivered a statement in connection with the 90th Session of the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee’s review of Nepal. Representing both FEDO and IDSN, Ms. Sob highlighted the entrenched discrimination and social exclusion faced by Dalit women and girls in Nepal.
Take-aways on caste and gender intersectionality from the report “Tripartite Marginalisation” in South Asia: In countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Dalits face overlapping discrimination due to factors such as caste, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, disability and religion. This multi-layered disadvantage severely restricts their access to basic rights. Hazardous Labour: Dalit women are disproportionately forced into dangerous and informal jobs, most notably manual scavenging. The vast majority of those engaged in this degrading work are Dalit women, who are then denied access to basic necessities like clean water, healthcare, and other goods and services. Violence with Impunity: Caste and gender-based violence are rampant, serving to reinforce oppressive social hierarchies. This violence often goes unpunished due to systemic discrimination within justice systems. Examples include trafficking and forced prostitution, sexual violence against Dalit women as a tool of caste oppression, and forced religious conversions or marriages. In Nepal, a significant number of human trafficking survivors are Dalit women, with Badi Dalit women being especially vulnerable due to historical prejudices. LGBTQ+ Dalit individuals also face high risks of physical and sexual violence, and Dalit children endure severe social exclusion and corporal punishment in schools. Dalit Women and mainstream feminist movements: Dalit feminist scholars have tirelessly brought to light the specific social, sexual and cultural contexts that shape Dalit women’s lives. They show how Dalit women’s bodies, identities and work have been historically controlled and exploited. The report notes that Dalit women are often marginalised even within feminist academic circles, underscoring that any feminist movement that ignores caste is fundamentally flawed and complicit in perpetuating caste hierarchies. The Special Rapporteur outlines essential elements to tackle discrimination: Understand the roots: It’s vital to conduct systemic, racial and historical analyses of oppression, including caste. The report warns against a superficial use of “intersectionality” without truly dissecting the power systems and privilege that fuel inequality. Without this, the concept risks losing its power to dismantle systemic discrimination. Listen to affected communities: The diverse experiences of those facing caste discrimination must be central to all efforts. Full and effective participation of caste-oppressed communities in all policy and decision-making spaces is non-negotiable. The report highlights a worrying trend: Dalit communities experience low representation in policymaking in India. Collect disaggregated data: Gathering data that is disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and caste, among other identities, is described as a critical tool. This “intersectional data” is powerful because it makes invisible communities and their struggles visible, challenges stereotypes and exposes systemic disparities. Demand justice and reparation: Laws must be expanded to include all forms of intersectional discrimination. Beyond this, the report champions comprehensive and structural reparatory justice approaches. These are crucial for acknowledging and fully addressing the harms of historical atrocities, especially those related to caste oppression. True justice, the report asserts, must be grounded in the lived experiences of those who have suffered systemic racism and intersectional discrimination.
2025 Intersectionality report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Racism makes it clear: caste and gender oppression and discrimination are not isolated issues but deeply interconnected forms of systemic violence. It highlights how understanding the concept of intersectionality is vital for unmasking the complex layers of discrimination and exclusion. The report also details how one-size-fits-all solutions simply don’t work, because the experiences of caste-oppressed communities are highly complex and varied. An intersectional lens helps to challenge harmful stereotypes and portrayals of these communities as homogenous. The report also highlights the need to challenge hate-speech online as well as offline.
A Joint Submission by Dalit CSOs Consortium to the United Nations - Universal Periodic Review 51st Session (Fourth Cycle) of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council (HRC) Concerning Caste-based Discrimination and Violence against Dalits in Nepal Submitted by: Dalit CSOs Consortium for UPR Nepal (DCC-UN) This consortium comprises over 30 Dalit-led organizations dedicated to the empowerment and advancement of the Dalit community. Operating across various sectors and regions of the country, the member organizations bring a diverse range of experiences and expertise to their collective efforts. In collaboration with: International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN)
This IDSN submission emphasizes that despite progress in some South Asian countries, Dalit women remain grossly underrepresented in public and private decision-making, constrained by persistent caste- and gender-based barriers. The submission calls for targeted reforms—such as explicit anti-discrimination laws, legal aid, land redistribution, labour protections, and scholarships—to dismantle intersecting inequalities and promote Dalit women’s socio-economic empowerment . Furthermore, IDSN urges intersectional integration within gender policies, including data disaggregation, inclusive consultations, vocational training, and protections in climate, conflict, and digital spheres to uphold development rights for Dalit women and girls
IDSN's submission draws attention to how climate change in South Asia disproportionately harms Dalit communities and how Dalit human rights defenders (HRDs) are central to advancing inclusive climate action and a just transition. Despite leading initiatives in sustainable agriculture, disaster response, and resource rights, Dalit HRDs—especially women—face systemic violence, exclusion, legal harassment, and invisibility in data and relief efforts. IDSN urges governments, international bodies, and donors to integrate caste-awareness into climate policies, ensure equitable access to resources, disaggregate data, and strengthen protections for Dalit HRDs. The submission emphasizes that genuine climate justice and a just transition are impossible without centering Dalit voices and leadership.
This IDSN submission outlines the urgent need to address persistent caste-based discrimination and exclusion of Dalit communities in South Asia. It calls for the full implementation of the UN Principles and Guidelines for the Effective Elimination of Discrimination Based on Work and Descent and advocates for a legally binding UN convention on caste-based discrimination. IDSN recommends strengthening access to justice, ensuring Dalit representation in legal and political institutions, protecting human rights defenders, and promoting equality in education, employment, and public services. The submission stresses that systematic reforms and international oversight are essential to effectively combat caste-based discrimination and uphold minority rights.
This IDSN submission highlights the pervasive issue of child labour among Dalit children in South Asia, particularly in India, where caste-based discrimination and systemic poverty exacerbate their vulnerability. Children as young as five are subjected to bonded labour in brick kilns, hazardous work in agriculture, forced labour in the textile industry, and domestic servitude, often under exploitative schemes like the “Sumangali” system. The IDSN underscores that these children, especially girls, face compounded risks of trafficking, sexual violence, and early marriage, which further entrench their marginalisation. To address these issues, the IDSN calls for the strict enforcement of existing laws, the elimination of caste-based discrimination in education and public services, and the implementation of comprehensive social protection measures to support vulnerable families and prevent child labour.
IDSN input on intersectionality from a racial justice perspective to Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism This report has had input from Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network (PDSN), All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM)- National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM), Better World Shelter and Feminist Dalit Organisation. It is impossible to address intersectionality without a focus on gender and gender justice from a racial justice perspective. Therefore, this submission takes the intersectionality of caste and gender as its central premise.
IDSN input for the report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues on the contribution of the UN to the full realization of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
Cottonseed survey found ” 87% of the families of working children came from lower castes such as tribal people and dalits … Cotton seed producers usually employed children on a long-term contract basis by paying advances or loans to their parents. A survey of 320 chil- dren working on cotton seed farms revealed that about 95% of the children were in debt bondage: the children were effectively working off their parents’ debts in conditions of near slavery”
In the context of the reports presented at the 58th Council session, IDSN recommends States to pay particular attention to caste-based discrimination to ensure it is included on par with other forms of discrimination in thematic Human Rights Council resolutions.
Submitting Organisations - The joint shadow report was submitted by the Feminist Dalit Organisation and the International Dalit Solidarity Network.
