Building Bridges Among Women Discriminated Against on Work and Descent

We are living in times of great turmoil, with protracted conflict, the climate crisis and growing inequalities present in the world today. Amidst this growing crisis, state and non-state actors have a very critical role to play in upholding the human rights of communities and individuals and ensuring respect of global standards. In this context, continuing violence and human rights violations perpetrated against Communities Discriminated based on Work and Descent (CDWD) are of great concern. These communities number over 270 million individuals and suffer some of the harshest forms of marginalisation, discrimination and social exclusion in the world. CDWD are known by various names, such as Dalits and Burakumin in Asia, the Bellah community in Mali, the Haratin slave caste in Mauritania, the Quilombola in Brazil and Roma in Europe and beyond. These communities share the common experience of living in socially segregated societies that discriminate against them based on the kinds of occupations that they practise and their family ancestry. Confronted with oppressive beliefs that label them as “unclean” or “polluted”, CDWD are relegated to the margins of society.

Key Objectives:

• Spotlight the discrimination and poverty faced by CDWD women.
• Explore the intersectionality of gender, caste, ethnicity, race and socio-economic factors that contribute to the challenges faced by these communities.
• Emphasise the importance of addressing multiple layers of discrimination for effective policy-making and social change.
• Facilitate open discussions between women representatives of CDWD communities, policymakers, academics, and activists.
• Highlight the achievements and resilience of women from these communities who have overcome adversity.
• Develop recommendations and policy suggestions for governments and international organizations to address discrimination and poverty faced by these women.
• Encourage the integration of intersectional perspectives in existing policies and the creation of new initiatives tailored to the specific needs of these communities.

Event format and outcomes: The event will include keynote addresses, will utilise personal narratives, documentaries, and expert panels to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issues. It will be accessible both in-person and virtually to ensure widespread participation.

Aim:This event  aims to contribute to the global conversation on gender equality by specifically addressing the discrimination and poverty faced by Roma, Dalit, Quilambola, Buraku, Haratine and other CDWD women. The event seeks to drive actionable initiatives, promote inclusivity, and empower these communities to build a more equitable future. It also aims to establish a platform for sharing best practices and fostering collaborations that can lead to tangible improvements in the lives of these women, and, potentially the establishment of an informal CDWD feminist network.

Organisers:

• The Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD)
• The Inclusivity Project (TIP)
• European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO)
• Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas (CONAQ)
• Asia Dalit Rights Forum
• Africa Network on CDWD

Speakers include:
– Simona Torotcoi, European Roma Grassroots Organizations Network
– Patricia Da Costa, The National Coordination for the Articulation of Black Rural Quilombola Communities in Brazil (CONAQ)
– Queen Bisseng, Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent
– Sonu Das, Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement

– Moderator: Beena Pallical, Asia Dalit Rights Forum(ADRF)