News and Events
UK’s Largest Indian Dating Website removes Question on Skin Tone
23rd June 2020
We reported in our spring newsletter that an Asian dating website was responsible by means of an algorithm to exclude Scheduled Castes (Dalits) from certain matches. Shaadi.com, a marriage site for the Indian community in the UK, the US and elsewhere, is back in the headlines again. Originally, subscribers to the website were asked how dark or light their skin tone was – it is commonly believed that a darker skin tone denotes a lower caste and that lighter skin tones are more desirable. Following the Black Lives Matter movement, a subscriber from the US started a petition to remove [..]
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6 States in India Change their Labour Laws at Significant Cost to Workers and their Rights
16th June 2020
Labour laws are considered to be one of the most important tools in protecting the workforce from exploitation, ensuring anything from the maximum number of working hours to health and safety at work. Why, then, are some states in India throwing out the rulebooks? Supposedly this is in response to assisting the economy in recovering from the Covid-19 crisis, while some have suggested that it may be an attempt to steal back some of the cheap labour market from China. Regardless of the reason, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are all making changes that contravene [..]
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The Disproportionate Effects of Covid-19 on Dalits
7th May 2020
The UK is mostly an incredibly generous population – even in this time of crisis where job uncertainty is rife and financial security is a thing of the past, we continue to donate not just to causes in the UK, but also those across the world who require help to deal with Covid-19 and its implications. However, in caste-affected countries, history has taught us that when it comes to distributing aid, Dalits are often those most in need and those most often denied access to relief and state benefits. They may already be living in highly crowded spaces with limited [..]
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Ethical Trade Initiative’s Base Code Guidance: Caste in Global Supply Chains
27th March 2020
Ethical Trade Initiative’s Base Code Guidance: Caste in Global Supply Chains The ETI Base Code Guidance: Caste in Global Supply Chains was published by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) in September 2019, developed in conjunction with DSN-UK and IDSN. It shines a light on the abuses that often go on unnoticed in supply chains and what companies can do to recognise and rectify the situation. Clearly set out, with plenty of facts and figures to demonstrate the severity of caste-based discrimination as a major business and human rights issue, the Base Code Guidance is the result of many months of [..]
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Dalit Solidarity Network UK Launches New Look Website
18th February 2020
We are delighted to introduce our new website: https://dsnuk.org. The DSN-UK team have been working hard over the last few months to ensure that the new site is easier to navigate and has a more contemporary appearance, with the help of designers Eighth Day. Divided into categories, you can now explore further under the main titles of Caste Discrimination, Caste in the UK, What We Do, Take Action and News. Whether you want to find out about caste discrimination globally or are more focused on how you can change things here in the UK, the new website can direct you [..]
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