How Does Caste Discrimination Manifest in the Employment Sector and How Does It Affect Individuals?
After Meena’s helpful introduction to the topic of caste discrimination, we had the chance to dig deeper into this issue and draw from her expertise.
Caste is one of the greatest sources of prejudice and discrimination in the world today, depriving people of access to decent work and human dignity, and used to justify slavery and child labour for millions across the globe. Yet many ethical trade stakeholders, including businesses, trade unions and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) alike, are not aware of the subject and how it may relate to them.
Business operations in caste-affected countries are at a high risk of being based on the economic exploitation or seclusion of caste-affected communities and others at the “low” end of the caste hierarchy.
Violations of both national legislation as well as international law, in particular the international labour standards, often occur.
Common examples of caste discrimination in business operations are:
Exploitation of workers from caste-affected communities, including the use of children and bonded labourers (debt slaves), working under hazardous conditions for a minimal pay
Discrimination in employment practices – applicants from caste-affected communities never considered for skilled jobs
Discrimination in the services and utilities offered by an employer, such as housing, health care, and education and training
Misappropriation of land belonging or allocated to caste-affected communities
However, it is important to note that caste does not just happen in South Asia. Tech giant Cisco is facing allegations that the company has not taken proper action to stop caste discrimination within its workforce. The federal lawsuit by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), alleges that dominant caste managers at Cisco’s San Jose headquarters campus, which employs a predominantly South Asian workforce, harassed, discriminated, and retaliated against an engineer because he is a Dalit.
The lawsuit against Cisco is a landmark case because it is the first civil rights case in the US where a governmental entity is suing an American company for failing to protect caste oppressed employees and creating a hostile workplace. In the UK, Parliament has acknowledged the existence of caste-based discrimination and equality legislation to prevent this was introduced and approved in 2013. However, this legislation is yet to be implemented and is in danger of being repealed. In the US there is no legislative framework to address caste-based discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere. With large South Asian diaspora communities in these countries, it has been documented on many occasions that caste discrimination transcends borders and needs to be addressed wherever it occurs.
The case underscores the need for legislation outlawing caste-based discrimination in countries with South Asian diaspora communities such as the US and UK.
What would you say needs to be done to combat the issue of caste discrimination?
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948).
But 260 million world wide continue to suffer from caste discrimination.
Many countries have legislation that outlaws caste discrimination – in India, for example, the body of legislation meant to protect Dalits and improve their situation is extensive. But political will to ensure implementation is lacking and discrimination from village level up to government level continues unabated. Caste discrimination and the human rights violations that inevitably follow can only be avoided if decision makers at all levels decide to take action.
Change has to come from within caste affected countries themselves, but IDSN raises awareness and engages with policy makers at international level in order to create pressure from the outside.”
By Alexandra Bjornstad