GFoD Calls for Urgent Global Action to End Discrimination Against Women from CDWD Communities

The Global Forum of Communities Discriminated Based on Work and Descent (GFoD), hosted by The Inclusivity Project, has submitted a statement to the 2026 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), urging immediate action to address the deep-seated injustices faced by women and girls from CDWD (Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent) backgrounds.

The submission aligns with the 2025 UN Women Policy Paper on advancing intersectional rights and justice for these communities.

Women from CDWD backgrounds experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on gender, descent, and social exclusion. The intersection of these factors compounds their marginalization and deepens their vulnerability.

The statement emphasizes the urgent need to dismantle systemic barriers to justice. CDWD women continue to face severe violations, including sexual violence, trafficking, forced prostitution, and bonded and forced labour. Those who seek justice are often subjected to reprisals, further discouraging others from coming forward.

A major concern highlighted by GFoD is the extremely low rate of reporting of discrimination, including cases of sexual violence and rape. This underreporting stems from widespread mistrust in State institutions and the justice system, which often fail to provide adequate protection, punishment, or prosecution. The resulting culture of impunity allows perpetrators to continue violating these women with little fear of consequences.

CDWD women also face profound structural barriers in accessing justice, including legal illiteracy, limited awareness of their rights, and poor access to legal aid. These challenges are exacerbated by the intersection of descent-based discrimination and patriarchy, which collectively prevent women from asserting their rights or engaging in advocacy. For instance, in Moldova, a staggering 99% of Roma women reported that they would not report marital rape due to fear of racism, stigma, and distrust of the police—demonstrating how generalized anti-discrimination frameworks often fail to protect the most vulnerable.

GFoD's submission calls on the CSW and other international bodies to ensure the meaningful and empowered participation of women discriminated against on the basis of work and descent in decision-making processes. It urges the CSW to introduce specific thematic sessions that focus on the intersection of gender, caste, descent, and occupation. Such sessions should explore the systemic barriers faced by CDWD women and their impact on women's economic, political, and social participation.

The GFoD further urges the CSW to ensure that governments are held accountable for their commitments to eliminate discrimination against marginalized women. Governments should be required to report on the status of women from CDWD communities and outline concrete steps taken to address their specific needs. Moreover, national, regional, and global reviews of commitments to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action should explicitly include the perspectives and lived experiences of CDWD women.

The statement concludes by emphasizing that these measures are crucial to ending the systemic invisibility and structural barriers that perpetuate cycles of violence and poverty. Centering the leadership and lived experiences of CDWD women, GFoD asserts, is essential to achieving true gender equality and justice.

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