Empowering CDWD Communities in Africa: Reflections from the International Conference

Empowering CDWD Communities in Africa: Reflections from the International Conference

The International Conference on Empowering Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) in Africa convened on April 3, 2025, bringing together activists, academics, legal experts, and community representatives from across the continent. The gathering focused on the urgent need to address entrenched discrimination faced by marginalized groups across Africa—particularly those impacted by caste-like systems, descent-based…

The Critical Role of the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls in Advancing Roma Women’s rights

The Critical Role of the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls in Advancing Roma Women’s rights

The 2025 UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development convened under the theme “Advancing Sustainable, Inclusive, Science- and Evidence-based Solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs in the ECE region, Leaving No One Behind.” The Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent organized a side event focusing specifically on SDG5…

Rights Expert calls for recognition, inclusion of CDWD at Commission of Status of Women meeting

Rights Expert calls for recognition, inclusion of CDWD at Commission of Status of Women meeting

Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) rights expert Maria Atanasova spoke at the CSW69 Official Meeting: Interactive dialogue – Participation, accountability and gender-responsive institutions. Atanasova, a Roma woman representing the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, delivered a powerful speech calling for greater recognition and inclusion of marginalized communities at the…

‘Supreme Court of India’s verdict protects rights of CDWD in Modern Economy’

‘Supreme Court of India’s verdict protects rights of CDWD in Modern Economy’

On Friday, the Supreme Court of India, the country’s Apex court, dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Government of Maharashtra, one of the largest states in India, upholding a landmark judgment by the Bombay High Court. This judgment recognized intellectual property damage as compensable under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention…

India: Dalit researchers win landmark Intellectual Property Compensation in atrocity case

India: Dalit researchers win landmark Intellectual Property Compensation in atrocity case

New Delhi: One of the biggest challenges faced by Communities Discriminated by Work and Descent is recognition of their efforts and acknowledgement of their work as intellectual property. This makes it much more difficult for CDWD to not only get due recognition but also receive adequate compensation for their hard work. However, a landmark judgement…