A silent crisis: Halimatou Ceesay’s powerful presentation exposes caste-based discrimination in The Gambia

A silent crisis: Halimatou Ceesay’s powerful presentation exposes caste-based discrimination in The Gambia

In The Gambia, a country often celebrated for its vibrant cultural diversity, an unspoken reality continues to plague thousands of people: caste-based discrimination, particularly against communities discriminated on work and descent (CDWD). Despite significant strides toward abolishing slavery and improving human rights, the shadow of descent-based oppression remains deeply entrenched, affecting every facet of life—from…

81st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR: Public Statement by Alima Taal

81st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR: Public Statement by Alima Taal

At the 81st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in Banjul, The Gambia, GFoD senior rights expert Alima Taal delivered a powerful statement addressing a pressing concern in African societies: discrimination based on work and descent. Alima highlighted the caste systems ingrained within various ethnic groups across the continent,…

Giving a voice to Africa’s CDWD: The fight for recognition, rights and representation

Giving a voice to Africa’s CDWD: The fight for recognition, rights and representation

One of the first questions when talking about any marginalized community across the world is about their population, distribution, and the data to support these facts. But what if such data is not available? What if the marginalized community is not even recognized as such? What if the government outrightly dismisses any claims made by…

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR): A Catalyst for Roma Rights in Albania

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR): A Catalyst for Roma Rights in Albania

By Siljana Hyseni, Roma Rights Expert, GFoD As a marginalized group, the Roma minority, estimated to be between 8,301 and 120,000 people, continues to experience systemic discrimination, social exclusion, and poverty. These challenges have significantly impacted their access to education, healthcare, employment, and housing. On Friday, August 30, 2024, Albania will have its Universal Periodic Review…

Status of Communities Discrimninated on Work and Descent in Asia- Summary

Status of Communities Discrimninated on Work and Descent in Asia- Summary

Asia is the largest continent, with the majority of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) population in the world.The concept of equality does define its concepts of non-discrimination and safeguards through legal procedures and standards. Marginalized communities could achieve equality by abolishing discrimination in all forms. However, when discrimination becomes core to the…