IDSN welcomes Renu Sijapati as the first Dalit woman from Nepal to be chair of the IDSN Board

IDSN is delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Renu Sijapati as the first Dalit woman from Nepal to be elected chair of the IDSN board following approval of the board at IDSN’s General Assembly. Ms Sijapati is the General Secretary of the Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) and will be continuing her tenure on the IDSN board. IDSN is thrilled that Ms Sijapati will lead the newly constituted Board, bringing her invaluable experience and expertise to the forefront and further supporting IDSN’s strategic aims on caste and gender justice.

Report: European Parliament calls for an EU policy on caste discrimination, country strategies and dedicated focal points

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.

UN rights review calls for stronger anti-discrimination measures in Bangladesh

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. IDSN welcomes these steps and advocates for their swift implementation.

OECD Side Event proposes strategies for action to address caste in the global garment and footwear supply chains

A recent OECD side-event, co-organised by Arisa and IDSN, delved into caste discrimination within global garment and footwear supply chains, offering practical insights for companies seeking to address this pervasive problem.

Led by a panel of experts, the session provided actionable strategies tailored to the challenges posed by caste discrimination.

Webinar by ETI Norway addresses caste discrimination in global supply chains

On 13 April IDSN Executive Director, Meena Varma, spoke at a webinar organised by Ethical Trade Norway. The webinar brought together stakeholders, including Norwegian companies sourcing in South Asia, to share insights and strategies for tackling caste discrimination, as well as other forms of discrimination in global supply chains.

IDSN’s Executive Director Reviews ‘UNTOUCHABLE – Laughing Out Caste’ by Manjeet Sarkar

"Manjeet spares no-one in his comedy and in this film, you can see why. His has not been an easy life, but he has taken that life by the scruff of the neck and shaken it up and around. The system is not only challenged, it is rocked and left swaying in the wind by a round of quick fire, deeply penetrating jokes that make most of the audience guffaw with laughter, but I also hope that some were left deeply uncomfortable and questioning every casteist belief that we know too many still hold – and some maybe even forced to rethink that old way of how things were."

Review of the film Origin by IDSN Ambassador Aidan McQuade

IDSN Director, Meena Varma and IDSN Ambassador, Aidan McQuade were invited to a press screening of Film Director, Ava DuVernay’s new film Origin, a film inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s groundbreaking book – Caste: The origins of our discontent. In the book, Wilkerson argues that the racial tensions in the United States are better explained through the lens of caste not race.

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