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 ā€œSocial Development: Youth…

Collective Power: Why Ephraim Ogwu believes Africa CDWD must work togetherĀ 

Collective Power: Why Ephraim Ogwu believes Africa CDWD must work togetherĀ 

In the first part, we talked about Ephraim Ogwu’s earliest experiences, how social segregation continues even today, and the lessons he learnt during his journey as a CDWD activist. In the second of the three-part series, he talks about learning from other African communities, the intersectionality in advocacy and the lack of international attention In…

Civil Society Joint Submission on Caste-Based Discrimination in The Gambia

Civil Society Joint Submission on Caste-Based Discrimination in The Gambia

In an important update in the fight for rights for Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) and The Gambana International made a joint submission, highlighting the pressing issue of caste and descent-based discrimination in The Gambia. Presented for the 48th Session of the Universal…

Global Report on status of Communities Discriminated On Work And Descent- 2024

Global Report on status of Communities Discriminated On Work And Descent- 2024

The Global Report on the Status of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) was released by the Special Rapporteur on Minority Rights on November 28 during Forum on Minority Rights. The reportĀ emphasizes the importance of dismantling the purity-pollution paradigm and fostering inclusive societies. Earlier, a copy of global report was also handed over to…

How has The Gambia progressed in recognising CDWD rights: UPR Fact sheets

How has The Gambia progressed in recognising CDWD rights: UPR Fact sheets

The Gambia continues to grapple with deeply rooted caste and descent-based discrimination (DWD), a pervasive issue affecting marginalized communities across the country. Despite national and international commitments to eradicate such discrimination, systemic inequalities persist, particularly in education, gender equality, political representation, and protection from violence. Communities identified as ā€œslave castesā€ face widespread stigma and exclusion-especially…