Persistent Exclusion: Roma Women’s Struggle for Equality in North Macedonia

Persistent Exclusion: Roma Women’s Struggle for Equality in North Macedonia

The Case of Roma Women in North Macedonia presents a comprehensive examination of the discrimination and socio-economic challenges faced by Roma women—particularly those belonging to communities discriminated on work and descent (CDWD). It is authored by Fikrija Tair-Selmani and published by the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD), in partnership with…

Land Governance and Right to Adequate Housing in Mauritania: Key challenges & recommendations

Land Governance and Right to Adequate Housing in Mauritania: Key challenges & recommendations

Mauritania finds itself at a pivotal juncture in the quest to secure housing rights for its population. Four decades after Ordinance No. 83-127 abolished customary ownership and vested all unregistered land in the State, landlessness, informal urban growth, and forced evictions remain acute. The State’s dual land-tenure framework—modern statutory law overlaid on largely unrecognised customary…

Mali criminalises slavery by descent in landmark legal reform

Mali criminalises slavery by descent in landmark legal reform

In a historic step for human rights of Communities Discriminated in Work and Descent (CDWD), Mali has officially outlawed slavery by descent through a sweeping reform of its Penal Code. On December 14, 2024, the National Transition Council approved amendments to the Penal Code that explicitly criminalise slavery and related practices, including descent-based slavery—marking a…

Historic address at ECOSOC Youth Forum: Naveen Gautam elevates voices of marginalised youth

Historic address at ECOSOC Youth Forum: Naveen Gautam elevates voices of marginalised youth

At the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum, history was made when Naveen Gautam, representing the Stakeholders Group of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) Youth Constituency, took the stage as the first Dalit youth leader to moderate a plenary session at the United Nations. His powerful remarks, delivered at the session titled “Social Development: Youth…

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…