Purity and pollution: Why should Roma be part of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent?

Purity and pollution: Why should Roma be part of the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent?

By Milena Reljic, Roma Rights Expert Anthropologist Mary Douglas argued in Purity and Danger (1966) that ideas of pollution are not simply about hygiene. They are ways societies create social boundaries. Purity represents order, belonging, morality and social acceptance, while pollution represents disorder, threat, exclusion and something considered “out of place.”This framework is relevant to…

Progress Toward New International Standard on Discrimination Based on Work and Descent

Progress Toward New International Standard on Discrimination Based on Work and Descent

At the public closing of the 117th Session on 1 May 2026, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) announced that a General Recommendation on Communities Discriminated on the basis of Work and Descent will be taken up for discussion and drafting. This marks a significant milestone in a long-standing process to secure…

CDWD Women and the Beijing+30 Review: Persistent Gaps in National Reports

The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. As governments and stakeholders meet to assess global progress on gender equality, the continued exclusion of women from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) remains a concern. To…

Dalit Women in South Asia – Access to Economic Rights Focus on Land Higher Education and Employable Skills for Livelihood

This study attempts to draw attention to the current existing policies on land, higher educationand skill development for employment. The study is carried out in 4 South Asian countries ofBangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. We have under taken this study to create an evidencebase on the existing gaps in policy and budgetary frameworks on…