The case of violence against Dalit women in India has illustrated that violence againstwomen is not only widespread and extreme, but often surrounded by a lack of effectively functioning justice systems and the rule of law. What was largely overlooked in the media and political attention to the case was the fact that women from the lower caste and indigenous communities are often the worst victims of sexual violence and exploitation.
caste-based discrimination is explicitly addressed in the post-2015 agenda as a root cause of poverty, inequalities and social exclusion of particularly marginalized groups.
The UN network has the potential for mainstreaming a holistic approach to addressing caste-based discrimination by the UN system as a whole.
Finally, HRC action on caste discrimination ,HRC would like to recall the strong recommendation by the High Commissioner to the international community to “come together to support these efforts as it did when it helped put an end to apartheid.