Your support can empower 50 global CDWD youth leaders: Here’s how
Across South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and Latin America, millions still carry the burden of caste, inherited status, and work-based discrimination. For many—especially young people—these systems aren’t history. They are daily reality. They deny education. They block employment. They degrade lives by branding entire communities as “impure” or “untouchable.” And yet, from these very communities, […]
Why Global Forum on Discrimination on Work and Descent matters
Over 270 million people around the world continue to face discrimination—not for what they’ve done, but for who they were born as. Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD)—including Dalits, Burakumin, Haratine, Osu, Roma, Quilombola, and others—have been historically treated as “impure.” Entire generations have been relegated to so-called “polluting” jobs: manual scavenging, leather work, […]
Want to know more about Africa CDWD? Use this factsheet!
A comprehensive new report titled CDWD in Africa Factsheet highlights the continued exclusion and marginalisation of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) across five African nations—The Gambia, Mauritania, Niger, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Drawing on data compiled by researchers affiliated with the Global Forum on CDWD, the report exposes severe gaps in health, gender equality, […]
UN Special Rapporteur Dr Surya Deva cites status of CDWD in his report on Right to Development
Paul Diwakar, Convener of the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD), welcomed a recent report, presented by the UN Special Rapporteur Dr Surya Deva, that extensively cited the Collective for Discrimination Based on Work and Descent (CDWD). Diwakar emphasised that every human being, regardless of their background or occupation, possesses an inherent right to […]
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, North Macedonia, Nepal, Sri Lanka […]
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, […]
The Hidden Discrimination Affecting 270 Million People. And How the UN is Responding.
Imagine being told you cannot live in a certain neighborhood, cannot apply for certain jobs, and cannot marry outside your community. Not because of anything you did. But simply because of the family you were born into. For more than 270 million people around the world, this is not just a story. It is their […]
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 is rooted […]
Leave No One Behind: Does India’s Union Budget 2024-25 reflect this sentiment?
The following statement has been issued by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights ‘Leave No One Behind’ is the Central, transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals which is a priority of India too. The question is, does our action at the national level reflect our commitment to this promise? And how do we […]
Hear us Now! Here’s all you need to know about challenged faced by Discriminated Youth the World over
At the 2024 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), youth from communities discriminated on work and descent (CDWD) presented a comprehensive call for global action. The factsheet, “CDWD Youth and the SDGs: From Margins to Global Action”, underscores the urgent need to address the systemic exclusion of these youth across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The […]
