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International Dalit Solidarity Network

IDSN

Our mission is to make an effective global-level contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights and dignity of those affected by caste-based discrimination and to promote effective measures for its elimination.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Francisco Assis (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Dec 2025 · Caste discrimination in several Asian countries

Meeting with Isabel Wiseler-Lima (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Save the Children Europe and

4 Sept 2024 · Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union s policy on the matter – annual report 2024

Meeting with Ilan De Basso (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for opinion) and European Youth Forum and

28 Feb 2023 · Möte

Response to Effectively banning products produced, extracted or harvested with forced labour

20 Jun 2022

IDSN Response to EU Call for Evidence in the framework of the drafting of an EU forced labour Instrument The International Dalit Solidarity Network thanks the European Commission for consulting the public on this issue and would like to input into this Call with the following information: Recommendations We call for the EU’s mechanisms to be remedy-centred, using such an instrument to make sure victims of forced labour receive remedy. We also call on the instrument to ensure it is designed in a way to provide companies, sites, or states with a timeline for addressing the situation and putting an end to it, immediately or progressively, in a way that does not cause further harm to victims by depriving them of a job and income, in what are already very vulnerable situations. We believe the instrument should include a procedure for the victims and their representative organisations, such as trade unions or civil society organisations, to make complaints if national authorities do not investigate and resolve the issues. We urge the EU to insist that all companies exporting their products to EU markets or importing them into EU markets should sign up to the Forced Labour Protocol of the ILO. In the framework of this initiative or the EU CSDD initiative, we call on the EU to require companies to map and disclose suppliers, sub-suppliers and business partners in their whole value chains. Before allowing the banned products again in the EU market, proof should be provided that corrective measures have been introduced to prevent future instances of forced labour and that remedy has been provided. This must be done in close consultation with independent civil society and victims’ representatives that can testify to this. We call on the EU to engage with States affected by caste-base discrimination on concrete actions to eradicate slavery in the informal sector, particularly to bringing caste-affected communities to the formal sector through social security schemes, pensions, formal work agreements and minimum labour standards. We also strongly urge the EU to engage with civil society organizations, in specific Dalit and Dalit women organizations on practical means to overcome their own plight, in view of envisaging solution that are realistic, bottom-up and empowering. For the evidence, please find attached a file.
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Meeting with Isabel Wiseler-Lima (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Brot für die Welt and

16 Jun 2022 · Annual Report 2022 - Human Rights

Meeting with Hannah Neumann (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Amnesty International Limited and

7 Dec 2021 · Expert Round Table on EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders

Meeting with Andrea Beltramello (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis) and industriAll European Trade Union and

23 Mar 2021 · Review of the EU regulation on a generalized scheme of preference

Response to Sustainable corporate governance

6 Oct 2020

An estimated 260 million people face caste discrimination globally, and in India, one in six people are Dalits. Research has shown that the majority of those trapped in modern slavery, including child and, forced labourers and those engaged in hazardous work, such as manual scavenging, are from the lowest castes or indigenous communities in caste-affected countries. Any business sourcing from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka or other caste-affected countries needs to understand the mechanisms of caste discrimination. Due to exclusion practiced by both state and non-state actors, Dalits have limited access to jobs, education, and government services, keeping many in a systemic and inherited severe state of poverty with no hope of human development. Despite policy developments and new legislations in some countries, fundamental challenges still remain in all caste-affected countries. Though caste-discrimination may seem like a niche issue considering its geographical scope, there are no limits to the atrocities suffered by Dalits communities and individual alike. In addition to being discriminated against, Dalits are seen as being ‘untouchable’ and ‘polluting’ to others, which is at the root of much of the discrimination and human rights violations against them. This situation was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis which brought to light the extent of the segregation suffered and left thousands without any food or social support, while being attacked, lynched or expulsed on pretence that they were spreading COVID-19. Furthermore, as exemplified by the recent Hatras case, Dalit women are often victims of rape and other forms of gender-based violence at the hand of upper caste men. Therefore, the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) calls upon the European Commission to introduce a binding due diligence legislation, with liability and access to justice and remedy that makes companies and investors legally responsible to respect human rights and to identify, cease, prevent, mitigate, monitor and account for potential and actual situation of caste-based discrimination and forced and bonded labour along their whole value chain, including subsidiaries and suppliers. Essential elements of this legislation are: • Mapping, transparency and traceability of the whole supply chains (until lowest tiers) to assess the status of the most vulnerable and socially excluded workers are essential to identify situation of caste-based discrimination. Businesses operating or sourcing from caste-affected countries must explicitly address caste in their policies and ensure that specific attention is paid to the vulnerabilities of Dalit workers; • Review supplier policies and practices on recruitment, pay, working hours, health and safety, focusing on lower-caste groups; • All business enterprises should review policies and procedures to enable disadvantaged groups to access their rights to organise and bargain collectively, as well as identify opportunities for collaborative action for example with NGOs, trade unions and other companies; • Ensure that there are grievance mechanisms in place that support socially excluded groups in bringing their concerns and cases of discrimination and ensure timely and effective remedy for all affected people; • Dalits and other socially excluded caste groups as well as workers associations, trade unions, civil society actors, local communities, indigenous groups and any other affected or potentially affected stakeholders, must be consulted and involved in the shaping of policies aimed to Protect, Respect and Remedy and in their implementation and review; • The legislation must provide for severe and joint liability for harms caused or contributed to by entities under their control or economically dependent, as well as liability for harms directly linked to their products, services or operations through a business relationship unless they can prove they took all measures to prevent the
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