CDWD across the globe
Publications
Our publications have become the one-stop destination for all news and information related to the CDWD across the globe. All publications uploaded here are the property of GFOD unless specified otherwise. All our reports are free to download and will always remain so.
CDWD at UN
Representing the CDWD at the United Nations is vital for ensuring their voices are heard globally. It promotes inclusivity, influences international policy, highlights injustices, fosters global solidarity, and drives equitable development. This representation is crucial for advocating basic human rights, securing funding, and empowering CDWD to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) and access to human rights.
Infographics
At GFOD, we believe information must be disseminated via as many mediums as possible. Our infographics section crunches information from multiple sources and presents them in a data-friendly format. Click on the infographics to learn more about CDWD across the globe.
SDGs
Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) encounter substantial barriers that impede their full participation in society and limit their access to economic, social, and political opportunities. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a global framework to tackle these obstacles and promote inclusive development.
CDWD on Ground
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How has The Gambia progressed in recognising CDWD rights: UPR Fact sheets
The Gambia continues to grapple with deeply rooted caste and descent-based discrimination (DWD), a pervasive issue affecting marginalized communities across the country. Despite national and international commitments to eradicate such discrimination, systemic inequalities persist, particularly in education, gender equality, political representation, and protection from violence. Communities identified as “slave castes” face widespread stigma and exclusion-especially…
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Brazil CDWD leaders celebrates landmark resolution passed in Africa
In a historic moment for global human rights, Latin American leaders have lauded the adoption of a groundbreaking resolution aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) in Africa. The resolution, which signifies an essential step in advocating for dignity and justice, was passed by the African Commission…
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A seismic moment: ACHPR adopts resolution on Africa CDWD
In a significant milestone for the rights of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has adopted a landmark resolution focused on the protection and promotion of these communities’ rights in Africa. This resolution was passed as one of eight thematic resolutions during the 81st Public…
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A silent crisis: Halimatou Ceesay’s powerful presentation exposes caste-based discrimination in The Gambia
In The Gambia, a country often celebrated for its vibrant cultural diversity, an unspoken reality continues to plague thousands of people: caste-based discrimination, particularly against communities discriminated on work and descent (CDWD). Despite significant strides toward abolishing slavery and improving human rights, the shadow of descent-based oppression remains deeply entrenched, affecting every facet of life—from…
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81st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR: Public Statement by Alima Taal
At the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, The Gambia, GFoD senior rights expert Alima Taal delivered a powerful statement addressing a pressing concern in African societies: discrimination based on work and descent. Alima highlighted the caste systems ingrained within various ethnic groups across the continent,…
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Special Interest Group demands adoption of resolution on CDWD in Africa
The panel was chaired by Litha Musyimi, Commissioner of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) during the NGO Forum ahead of 81st Session of the ACHPR on October 15, 2024 The NGO Forum ahead of 81st Session of African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), held from October 13 to 15, 2024,…
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New Jersey declares September 21 as Global Caste Awareness Day
In a landmark step towards fighting caste-based discrimination, New Jersey officially declared September 21 as Global Caste Awareness Day, following a resolution passed by the Jersey City Municipal Council. This significant move highlights the need to address caste-based discrimination, a pervasive issue affecting millions of people globally, particularly those in the South Asian diaspora. The…
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Giving a voice to Africa’s CDWD: The fight for recognition, rights and representation
One of the first questions when talking about any marginalized community across the world is about their population, distribution, and the data to support these facts. But what if such data is not available? What if the marginalized community is not even recognized as such? What if the government outrightly dismisses any claims made by…
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Témoignage – Rencontre avec un forgeron de la communauté Touareg au quartier Lossougoungou
Je m’appelle Zeinabou, je suis Experte en Droit auprès du GFoD et je souhaite partager aujourd’hui une petite discussion avec un certain M. Obaz sur les droits de l’homme après une séance de formation sur l’utilisation de la DUDH pour sensibiliser les communautés discriminées en matière de travail et d’ascendance. Lossougoungou est un quartier de…
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Testimonial – Meeting with a Blacksmith from the Tuareg community in Niger
Editor’s note: Across West Africa, several ethnic groups, including the Tuareg, Wolof, Mandinka, Bambara, Fulani, Soninké, Hausa, and Zarma, maintain rigid social hierarchies often described as caste systems. In these societies, the ‘nobles’ are regarded as freeborn, while ‘slaves,’ descendants of captive slaves and the slave trade, continue to face discrimination and remain vulnerable to…
Understanding Discrimination Based on Work & Descent
Discrimination based on work and descent is any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on inherited status such as caste, including present or ancestral occupation, family, community or social origin, name, birth place, place of residence, dialect and accent that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, or any other field of public life. This type of discrimination is typically associated with the notion of purity and pollution and practices of untouchability and is deeply rooted in societies and cultures where this discrimination is practiced.
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