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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20251105T114500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Moscow:20251105T124500
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20251027T175234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251027T175234Z
UID:10026-1762343100-1762346700@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:Featured Event at the Civil Society Forum – World Summit for Social Development
DESCRIPTION:Intersectional Justice for Women and Girls: Structural Change and Leadership\n📍 Doha\, Qatar – 5 November 2025\, 11:45 AM–12:45 PM(AST / UTC+3) \nRegister here \nThe Inclusivity Project (TIP)\, in partnership with the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD)\, UN Women\, ERGO Network\, and other global partners\, invites you to a powerful session spotlighting the leadership of women from communities facing descent-based discrimination. \nThis interactive event\, part of the Civil Society Forum during the Second World Summit for Social Development\, will explore how women from Dalit\, Roma\, Haratin\, Quilombola and other communities are driving systemic change through creative storytelling\, policy advocacy\, and community-led action. \nThrough art\, dialogue\, and lived experience\, the session aims to inspire structural transformation and advance intersectional justice\, ensuring no one is left behind in the global pursuit of equality and dignity. \nFor any inquiry about the event do not hesitate to reach out to:Simona Torotcoi (GFoD) – simona@globalforumcdwd.orgKunjani Pariyar Pyasi – pkunjani123@gmail.com
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/featured-event-at-the-civil-society-forum-world-summit-for-social-development/
LOCATION:Room #14\, Exhibition Hall #7\, Doha\, Qatar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://globalforumcdwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WSS-Featured-Event-Women-Girls-V2-3.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Qatar:20251105T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Qatar:20251105T163000
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20251005T190924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T085003Z
UID:9924-1762354800-1762360200@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:Designing Inclusive Futures: People-First Solutions for Social Inclusion and Equal Opportunities for Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent
DESCRIPTION:#HEARUSNOW  \nBackground:As the WSSD-2 convenes\, this Solutions Session will spotlight community-led and multi-stakeholder initiatives addressing those most affected by social crises. Youth groups\, stakeholders\, IGOs\, and Member States will present case studies/solutions focused on the contexts of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) with intersections to Indigenous Peoples\, and Migrants/Refugees under the theme of social inclusion and decent work for all. \nA regional analysis\, compiled by UNECE as an input to WSSD-2\, elaborates how poverty and exclusion disproportionately affect frontline groups. While extreme monetary poverty is rare in some regions\, multidimensional poverty rates exceed 20%\, hitting women\, children\, Roma communities\, and migrants hardest. This highlights the deep structural inequalities that must frame WSSD-2 discussions. The 2024 report on the status of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) – which includes Dalits in South Asia\, Haratin and Osu in Africa\, Roma in Europe\, and Quilombolas in Latin America – shows that over 270 million people face entrenched discrimination. Despite 80 years of UN efforts\, concepts of untouchability persist\, denying these communities access to decent work\, education\, justice\, and secure livelihoods\, with discrimination ingrained in social systems. This is worsened by environmental crises and economic precarity\, hitting Indigenous peoples\, migrants\, refugees\, and other marginalized groups hardest\, especially children and young women. Yet CDWD and excluded youth are leading change and advancing justice\, and building societies rooted in dignity and equity.  \n \nAgainst this backdrop\, this session will: \n\nShowcase case studies from CDWD organisations and allied partners\, with a cross-cutting focus on youth\, Indigenous peoples\, and refugees\n\n\nHighlight key solutions – in the form of policy suggestions and concrete actions proposed by the CDWD youth groups\, UN agencies\, and other stakeholders – and the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in delivering these \n\nThe session will culminate in a compendium of solutions/policy recommendations as a resource for Summit follow-up and implementation. \nSystemic exclusion affects many communities — including CDWD\, Indigenous peoples\, migrants\, refugees\, people with disabilities\, racial and ethnic minorities\, and those experiencing homelessness — driven by structural discrimination\, displacement\, climate crises\, and economic precarity. These impacts fall hardest on children and youth\, especially young women. For many\, migration becomes the only option amid collapsing ecosystems\, insecure land rights\, and shrinking labor markets\, yet pathways remain unsafe and exploitative. In the face of these challenges\, CDWD and other excluded youth are leading change: challenging discrimination\, demanding migration justice\, advancing climate resilience\, and shaping rights-based solutions for livelihoods\, land\, and water. Their leadership and solidarity are essential to building societies rooted in dignity\, justice\, and equity. \nObjectives:\n\nIdentify and dismantle systemic barriers faced by communities discriminated on work and descent\, Indigenous peoples\, migrants\, refugees\, and other excluded groups by surfacing community-driven and youth-led solutions that advance decent work\, social inclusion\, and human rights.\nPropose and showcase scalable community- and youth-led innovations – from local to global levels – that address discrimination\, migration justice\, gender inequality and economic exclusion\, with clear pathways for policy adoption and institutionalisation.\nGenerate actionable\, gender-responsive policy solutions rooted in grassroots experiences\, to inform WSSD2 outcomes and align with SDGs on poverty eradication\, decent work and social inclusion.\nFoster international solidarity and resource solutions that work by securing commitments to support community\, women and youth-led solutions through funding\, capacity strengthening and rights-based partnerships at all levels.\n\nFORMAT: \nOpening Remarks (5 mins)  \nSolutions Showcase – Youth and Community Leaders (20 mins) \nPolicy and Partnerships Dialogue (15 mins) \nInteractive Co-creation Segment (15 mins) \nClosing & Way Forward (5 mins) \n \n 
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/wss-cdwdyouth/
LOCATION:Online: Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://globalforumcdwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WSS-Youth-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251128T140000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251128T150000
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20251130T172624Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251130T172636Z
UID:10084-1764338400-1764342000@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:A Step Forward at the UN to Address Hierarchical Oppression – Strengthening International Standards to Protect Descent Communities
DESCRIPTION:Discrimination based on Work and Descent (DWD) affects over 270 million people globally\, often manifesting as social exclusion based on inherited status\, practices of untouchability\, and notions of “purity and pollution”. When groups face extreme forms of discrimination in accessing employment\, education\, healthcare\, and housing\, their capacity to contribute to national development is severely curtailed. \nWhile some States have constitutional and legal frameworks to protect minority rights\, implementation and consistent enforcement remain weak\, leading to systemic exclusion. This side event will prioritize identifying concrete measures and strategies necessary to eliminate these deep-seated discriminatory practices\, recognize the intersecting challenges faced by CDWD members and ensure the promise of the 2030 Agenda to “leave no one behind” is realized. \nThe contribution of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWDs) to peaceful and cohesive societies is undeniable. Rather than mere victims of systemic and intergenerational forms of discrimination\, these communities are agents of change. They are the protagonists of tolerant\, inclusive and diverse societies worldwide\, including economic development\, culture\, media\, and the performing arts. These contributions are often overlooked\, suppressed\, or even appropriated by dominant groups who may pass them off as their own. Despite their positive impact\, CDWD communities are frequently denied due recognition and are instead subjected to harmful stereotypes that portray them as backward\, unskilled\, and only suited for the most menial roles. \nThere is growing and steady recognition of CDWDs through several other UN mechanisms\, such as the UPR\, communications of special procedures and periodic reviews of treaty-bodies. This recognition\, however\, materialized in a fragmented manner\, through several standards and mechanisms\, which do not provide sufficient protection to over 260 million persons under this condition. \nObjectives \nThe side event aims to: \n\n Scrutinize existing state institutional arrangements\, such as quotas\, commissions\, or advisory bodies\, to determine why they often fail to ensure adequate and equitable representation and address the interests of smaller minority groups.\n Adopt a robust intersectional approach in all programmes and policies\, addressing the double marginalization faced by specific groups\, such as CDWD women\, girls\, youth\, and LGBTQ individuals\, who face exclusion both from the majority society and sometimes their own communities.\n Urge the UN mechanisms to adhere to key human rights standards and strengthen global standards on CDWD\, ensuring the specific form of hierarchical oppression based on work and descent is recognized and consistently reflected in national laws and practices.
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/a-step-forward-at-the-un-to-address-hierarchical-oppression-strengthening-international-standards-to-protect-descent-communities/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://globalforumcdwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/A-Step-Forward-at-the-UN-to-Address-Hierarchical-Oppression-–-Strengthening-International-Standards-to-Protect-Descent-Communities.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260309T120000
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20260220T220744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T220744Z
UID:10119-1773052200-1773057600@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Equitable Participation in Local Governance and Public Life
DESCRIPTION:The Asia Dalit Rights Forum\, in collaboration with the The Inclusivity Project\, Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO Nepal)\, and Dalit Women Forum/Nagorik Uddyog\, will host an in-person parallel event during CSW70. \nThis event addresses the systemic barriers that prevent Dalit\, Roma\, Quilombola\, and Palenque women — particularly those from communities discriminated on work and descent (CDWD) — from fully participating in local governance and public decision-making processes. Despite global commitments to gender equality and justice\, these women remain severely underrepresented in leadership roles and excluded from shaping policies that directly affect their lives. \nFailure to confront these structural inequalities threatens progress toward SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace\, Justice and Strong Institutions). The discussion will explore transformative legal reforms\, inclusive justice systems\, and strategies to dismantle discriminatory laws\, policies\, and practices. Speakers will highlight the urgent need to strengthen representation and meaningful participation of marginalized women at all levels of governance. \nBringing together young Dalit\, Roma\, and other marginalized women leaders\, this dialogue will foster cross-regional solidarity and generate actionable strategies to advance women’s full and effective participation in public life and improve access to justice.
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/dismantling-systemic-barriers-to-equitable-participation-in-local-governance-and-public-life/
LOCATION:Church Center for the United Nations (Drew Room)
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://globalforumcdwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CSW-Dismantling-Flyer.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T120000
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20260220T213851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T213851Z
UID:10116-1773225000-1773230400@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:Women from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent Claim Climate Justice
DESCRIPTION:Climate change disproportionately impacts women from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent\, compounding entrenched structural inequalities. Caste- and descent-based discrimination\, landlessness\, inherited livelihood insecurity\, and poverty intensify their exposure to climate shocks. The consequences include loss of livelihoods\, displacement\, increased unpaid care responsibilities\, heightened risks of gender-based violence\, and exclusion from relief\, recovery\, and climate finance. \nConvened by The Inclusivity Project (TIP) in collaboration with GFoD\, ADRF\, CONAQ\, and the ERGO Network\, this parallel event will center lived experiences and grassroots resilience while examining critical gaps in climate policy and justice frameworks that overlook caste- and descent-based exclusion. \nGrounded in a rights-based and intersectional approach\, the session will promote inclusive climate governance and strengthen the leadership and meaningful participation of historically marginalized women in shaping equitable and sustainable solutions. \nThe session will be held in English\, with interpretation available. \nClick here for the Zoom Link to the event.
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/women-from-communities-discriminated-on-work-and-descent-claim-climate-justice/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://globalforumcdwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GFoD-CSW-Climate-Justice.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260316T100000
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20260220T221531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T221531Z
UID:10123-1773649800-1773655200@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:Hidden and Normalized Inequality and Violence: The Realities of Women from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent
DESCRIPTION:Across the world\, women from communities discriminated on work and descent (CDWD)—including Dalit\, Quilombola\, Haratine\, and Roma women—continue to face extreme\, multidimensional\, and often invisible forms of gender-based violence. Despite decades of international commitments\, the violence they face remains under-reported\, under-researched\, and absent from global policy dialogues. \nThe new UN Women Policy Paper on Women from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent provides the first-ever UN system guidance to understand and address the structural\, gendered\, and systemic violence affecting these communities. This side event will showcase lived experiences\, evidence\, and grassroots strategies from CDWD women leaders and will highlight policy gaps in national\, regional\, and global responses to gender-based violence.
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/hidden-and-normalized-inequality-and-violence-the-realities-of-women-from-communities-discriminated-on-work-and-descent/
LOCATION:Drew Room\, UN Church Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://globalforumcdwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CSW-Hidden-Normalized-Flyer.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T124500
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20260220T211101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T211101Z
UID:10108-1773833400-1773837900@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:Algorithmic Bias\, Gender Justice\, and Descent-Based Discrimination: Ensuring AI Works for All Women and Girls
DESCRIPTION:Gender discrimination remains deeply rooted in many societies and is often experienced through intersectional forms of inequality shaped by factors such as descent\, race\, ethnicity\, socio-economic status\, and digital access. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded across sectors\, these intersecting inequalities risk being replicated and amplified through algorithmic systems. \nTools like risk prediction algorithms\, forecasting-based law enforcement\, automated welfare allocation\, and online judicial processing are transforming decisions on entitlements\, aid delivery\, and legal remedies. Without global guidelines\, openness\, redress mechanisms\, or\nrights protections\, these technologies frequently amplify entrenched gender disparities\, embedding biases from past records\, enforcement histories\, and bureaucratic routines. \nFor women and girls from communities discriminated against on work and descent (CDWD)—including Dalit\, Roma\, Quilombola\, Haratine\, Burakumin\, and other similarly affected groups—the risks are particularly severe. These communities already experience structural discrimination\, over-policing\, exclusion from services\, biased judicial treatment\, and chronic under-reporting of violence. When AI models are trained on biased data reflecting caste-\, ethnicity-\, or descent-based prejudices\, the resulting systems risk: \n\nDisproportionately flagging CDWD youth as “high-risk”\nIntensifying surveillance of CDWD neighbourhoods\nAutomating exclusion from welfare or social-protection schemes\nMisclassifying or deprioritizing CDWD women’s cases of violence\nReinforcing discriminatory employment and labour-market barriers\n\nThis session delves into AI’s influence on women’s and girls’ pathways to justice\, emphasizing compounded vulnerabilities from overlapping discriminations. It will also provide a timely platform for discussion ahead of the Working Group’s forthcoming thematic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2026. \nObjectives \n\nAnalyse how current uses of AI in governance\, justice systems\, and policing\nreproduce gender\, caste\, ethnicity\, and descent-based inequalities.\nHighlight lived experiences of women and girls from CDWD communities regarding\nAI-driven exclusion\, surveillance\, and barriers to justice.\nDiscuss safeguards and regulatory frameworks needed to ensure AI\nstrengthens—rather than undermines—women’s access to justice and protection\nfrom violence.\nExamine opportunities for AI to expand legal empowerment and support for survivors\nwhen human-rights-based digital governance is applied.\n\nTo join this event please register here. \nPartners\nPermanent Mission of Albania to the UN New York\nUN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls (WGDAWG)\nThe Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD)\nThe Inclusivity Project (TIP)\nEuropean Union Delegation to the United Nations in New York
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/algorithmic-bias-gender-justice-and-descent-based-discrimination-ensuring-ai-works-for-all-women-and-girls/
LOCATION:Conference Room E\, UN Headquarters\, New York\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://globalforumcdwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Flyer_updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20260422T083000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20260422T100000
DTSTAMP:20260502T145727
CREATED:20260406T200333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T201030Z
UID:10159-1776846600-1776852000@globalforumcdwd.org
SUMMARY:Beyond Informality: Addressing Roma Settlements in Europe—Challenges\, Solutions\, and the Way Forward
DESCRIPTION:Across Europe\, many Roma communities live in informal housing or settlements that lack security of tenure\, access to basic services\, or legal recognition. These living conditions often reflect systemic exclusion\, discrimination\, and policy gaps. Informal settlements expose Roma families to health hazards\, forced evictions\, and obstacles to education and employment. \nRoma communities\, as groups facing discrimination based on work and descent\, experience housing deprivation and spatial segregation in ways that mirror the struggles of similarly marginalized communities around the world. From Dalit communities in South Asia to people of African descent in the Americas\, systemic exclusion from adequate housing is a global human rights issue. The challenges Roma face in accessing legal tenure\, public services\, and safe living conditions are part of a broader pattern of structural discrimination that transcends borders. Recognizing these global parallels is essential for building solidarity and applying international human rights frameworks to local housing solutions. \nDespite longstanding recognition of these challenges by EU institutions\, UN agencies\, national governments\, and civil society\, progress remains slow and uneven. Structural racism\, local resistance\, and underinvestment continue to hamper efforts toward inclusive housing policies. \nThis virtual event seeks to bring together key stakeholders – Roma-led NGOs\, EU and UN agencies\, policy experts\, and state actors – to reflect on current realities\, share good practices\, and explore collaborative pathways forward. Special attention will be given to recommendations from recent joint reports and the 2020–2030 EU Roma Strategic Framework. \nObjectives: \n\nExpose the current state of informal Roma settlements across Europe.\nPresent and discuss data\, evidence\, and recommendations from recent joint reports.\nFacilitate dialogue between Roma communities\, international institutions\, and policymakers.\nIdentify promising practices and structural solutions that can be scaled or replicated.\nFoster collaboration across sectors and levels of governance.\n\nTo read more in these issues read our latest report here. \nRegister for the event by scanning the QR code to receive the Zoom Link.
URL:https://globalforumcdwd.org/event/beyond-informality-addressing-roma-settlements-in-europe-challenges-solutions-and-the-way-forward/
LOCATION:Online: Zoom
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