New Jersey declares September 21 as Global Caste Awareness Day

New Jersey declares September 21 as Global Caste Awareness Day

In a landmark step towards fighting caste-based discrimination, New Jersey officially declared September 21 as Global Caste Awareness Day, following a resolution passed by the Jersey City Municipal Council. This significant move highlights the need to address caste-based discrimination, a pervasive issue affecting millions of people globally, particularly those in the South Asian diaspora.  The…

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…

GFoD submission to the OHCHR call for inputs on universal birth registration, use of digital technology

GFoD submission to the OHCHR call for inputs on universal birth registration, use of digital technology

This submission has been coordinated by Simona Torotcoi, GFoD, Coordinator for Europe, with inputs from the following GFoD rights experts: Marina Csikós, and Fikrija Tair Selmani. Discrimination based on Work and Descent (DWD) affects more than 270 million people worldwide. Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) can be found on all continents: Dalit communities…

Towards an Informal Working Group on the the Rights of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent

Towards an Informal Working Group on the the Rights of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent

Statement by the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) HLPF 2024, United Nations, New York Speaking at the HLPF 2024 side event titled “Good Practices and Challenges in the 2030 Agenda – Showcasing ongoing inclusive strategies of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent,” Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives from Canada, Spain, Colombia,…

Queen Bisseng calls for ‘global commitment to end discrimination’ at HLPF

Queen Bisseng calls for ‘global commitment to end discrimination’ at HLPF

In a compelling address at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), Queen Bisseng, representing the Stakeholder Group of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD), highlighted the urgent need for global attention to systemic discrimination based on work and descent. Queen Bisseng opened her speech by emphasising the pervasive nature of this form of discrimination, which…