CLPR’s draft Equality Bill 2020 takes a new step in addressing discrimination experienced by people on the basis of caste, gender, religion, transgender and intersex identity, disability and other grounds. It aims to promote equality, prohibit different types of discriminatory conduct, provide adequate civil remedies and set up fora for redressal that are accessible and effective in addressing discrimination.
Discrimination & Intersectionality
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Our core focus in combating discrimination on the basis of disability, sex, gender identity and caste has resulted in high impact litigation and in depth, insightful social science research on intersectionality.
Our new approach is to view discrimination through the lens of Intersectionality and respond to caste–based discrimination in the context of gender, sexuality and disability.
Intersections of Caste and Gender: Implementation of Devadasi Prohibition Laws
CLPR’s policy brief on the Devadasi practice in States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra investigates the prevalence of the practice and reviews the implementation of legislations prohibiting the practice. The policy brief pays close attention to the intersectional discrimination faced by Devadasi women due to their caste, class, and gender and suggests a range of recommendations from statutory amendments to regular empirical studies and training programmes to strengthen the working of the legislations.
Intersectionality: A Report on Discrimination based on Caste with the intersections of Sex, Gender Identity and Disability in South India
CLPR’s report collates the life experiences of intersectional discrimination in the four South Indian States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu to understand the relationship between different intersecting identities and various sites of discrimination.
Findings of the CLPR’s Research on Intersectional Discrimination
CLPR has conducted qualitative and quantitative research on discrimination faced by persons at the intersection of caste with gender, gender identity and disability. We presented the preliminary findings of the study on 21 November 2018 at a consultation organised with community members and other stakeholders. CLPR intends to prepare and publish a detailed report on the methodology and results of the study shortly.
Bhavika Pore v. Union of India & Anr.
The Centre for Law and Policy Research recently filed an intervening application on behalf of Swati Bidhan Baruah, lawyer and transgender activist, in a case titled Bhavika Pore v. Union of India. The Petitioner through this Petition is invoking the writ jurisdiction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India to direct the concerned authorities to fulfil their statutory obligations with regard to setting up/specifying special Human Right Courts in each district for the better protection of Human Rights and also to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor for the same, vis-à-vis section 30 and 31 of the Human Rights Act, 1993.
CLPR files petitions before KAT seeking reservations for transgender persons in Division Assistant posts in Karnataka
The Petition was filed challenging the Notification No. E(2) 7271/2018-19/PSC dated 11.02.2019 (hereinafter the Impugned Notification) calling for applications from eligible candidates to fill up posts of First Division Assistant (FDA) and posts of Second Division Assistant (SDA) of the Bangalore City Civil Court and the different District and Sessions Courts across the State, issued by the Respondent No. 1, seeking that separate reservations be provided for transgender persons.
Madras High Court allows transgender applicants to write exam for Police Constable selections despite age bar
CLPR represented three transgender persons in appealing to the Madras High Court for the relaxation of the age bar for the post of grade II police constable.
Jeeva M. v. State of Karnataka & Anr.
CLPR represented a transgender person seeking change of name and gender in school certificates and pre-university records before the Karnataka High Court.
28th
Feb 2020
Tackling Caste Discrimination through Law: Ernakulam Talks
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Venue M.K. Damodaran Memorial Hall, Golden Jubilee Chamber Complex, Kerala High Court Advocates Association
Time 9:30 A.M.-4:30 P.M.
27th
Jan 2020
CSO Network: Legal Training Workshop on Laws Addressing Caste Discrimination
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Venue Guruswamy Center, 10-2-277, B, E, West Marredpally Road, Nehru Nagar Colony, West Marredpally, Secunderabad, Telangana 500 026
Time 9.30 AM to 4.30 PM
18th
Jan 2020
Lawyers’ Network: Learning Session on Laws Addressing Caste Discrimination
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Venue M.K. Damodaran Memorial Hall, Golden Jubilee Chamber Complex, Kerala High Court Advocates Association
Time 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM
10th
Jan 2020
CSO Network: Legal Training Workshop on Laws Addressing Caste Discrimination
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Venue Astoria Hotel No. 65, 70 Feet Road, Ellis Nagar, Madurai - 625016
Time 10.00 A.M to 5.00 P.M
Bar and Bench
Tackling Caste Discrimination Through Law: CLPR event conducted at Karnataka HC
Bar and Bench reported the CLPR event on learning session for lawyers at the Karnataka High Court on the topic of ‘Tackling Caste Discrimination through Law”.
The interactive seminar had four sessions covering various topics such as The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955: How can it be effectively used? Manual Scavenging and the Law, and the Karnataka Devadasi (Prohibition of Dedication) Act, 1982.
Radio Active - Cr 90.4 MHz
A Conversation with Trinetra Gummaraju | Radio Active covers our SRR conference
Shruti Sharada interviews Trinetra Gummaraju, who will speak at our conference on Sexual and Reproductive Rights conference, for RadioActive Cr 90.4 Mhz. Gummaraju will speak on the LGBTI+ panel.
CNN
Teenager beheaded in southern India in caste-based violence
The beheading of a 13 year old girl in Tamil Nadu is another example of caste based violence perpetuated against women. In this article CNN quotes Jayna Kothari who argues for looking at these crimes in an intersectional way: as caste and gender based violence.
Status of implementation of POSH Act in Chennai’s Collectorate and its subordinate offices
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) which is considered to be of the better piece of legislation protecting women’s rights and dignity, seems to be so only on paper in the Chennai, especially in the Collectorate and its subordinate offices. The executive authorities appear uninterested in implementing this progressive law and awareness about this law is lacking among employers, employees, and workplaces including companies, shops, households, and government organizations alike. This scenario does not only hold for rural areas but also to the metropolitan city like Chennai.
Tackling Caste Discrimination Through Law: Lawyer Learning Session at Ernakulam
On 18 January 2020, CLPR organised a Learning Session for Lawyers on ‘Tackling Caste Discrimination Through Law’ in Ernakulam in association with the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association. The workshop aimed at enabling and facilitating a better understanding of caste discrimination laws such as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, The Protection of Civil Rights Act, and 1955, Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSRA) as well as Equality Bill, 2020.
The Pervasiveness of Caste Discrimination amongst Muslims
Neel D’Souza, a Public Policy Student from National Law School of India University, Bengaluru who is working as a research intern at CLPR writes a blog on the topic, “The Pervasiveness of Caste Discrimination amongst Muslims”.
The Sexual is Political: Consent and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019
The Transgender (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 passed recently by the Parliament, precisely undoes the capacity of the trans subject to be a citizen by revoking their ability to consent. This post highlights some of the key issues in the Act and why the trans community does not support it.