'Manual Scavenging as Occupational violenceagainst Dalit Women'

Invitation to national summit on
'Manual Scavenging as Occupational violenceagainst Dalit Women' At New Delhi

SKA greets you in partnership to reclaim our dignity, equity and personhood
through breaking the caste system!


Date : 25th Feb, 09,
Venue : Vishwa Yuvak Kendra, Chanakyapuri,New Delhi
Time : 10 AM onwards



Safai Karmachari Andolan-SKA, a national movement is committed to the total elimination of the obnoxious practice of manual scavenging that affects the dignity of nearly 1.3 million persons engaged in manual scavenging (safaikarmacharis) in India. Since 1996, we have undertaken several measures to pressurize the Governments and other related parties to implement the 'Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act 1993 that prohibits this inhuman practice. One such measure is the legal intervention by way of a PIL case filed along with 18 other organizations and individuals. The honorable Supreme Court has not only admitted our case but has also periodically passed orders reprimandingthe state parties for their negligence and inaction. The Supreme Court is continuing to demand time bound programmes and schemes to eliminate the practice and to rehabilitate all those employed as manual scavengers.

SKA organized a national consultation in November 2007 to develop a collective vision of eradication of manual scavenging with a year wise strategic plan to involve civil society cutting across social, political and economic strata. 'Action 2010'-a declaration of time bound movement to restore the human rights of 13 lakh safai Karmchairs-emerged through deliberations by the participants, including several community activists, leaders of social movements and human rights organizations and NGOs.

As more than 95% of those engaged are Dalit women, the thematic focus of themovement in the first year of Action-2010 i.e. 2008, Occupational violenceagainst Dalit women, drew hundreds of Safai Karmachari women in 13 states,at local and state levels into the arena of struggle as a result of SKA'smotivational and awareness activities; their innate urge for liberation from this atrocity was unleashed and they were spurred on to organise protest rallies and burning of the baskets and brooms used to collect human excreta.These actions proved baseless the allegations thrown upon safai karamcharis by civil society and Govt that SK women do not want liberation or are not prepared to take up alternative dignified livelihood. Hitherto invisible safai karmachari women are now in the forefront of the struggle, crossing the restraints imposed upon them by their families, questioning the bureaucrats, uninhibited even by the media glare to give a clarion call -"this atrocity shall no longer be tolerated!"

SKA proposes a national summit in New Delhi to bring visibility to the gender dimension of this occupational violence among women's rights' groups; it shall be a culmination of this thematic process, and continuation of solidarity building, as well as the declaration of strategic interventions of the second year's thematic campaign i.e. Manual scavenging - 'Stark reality of -untouchability'.

This summit will be led by safai karmachari women activists from 16 states who will share their tears and triumphs, their struggle and determination to break the shackles of this caste and descent based occupation, apart from interacting with prominent women's rights and dalit women's rights activistsfor solidarity and inputs to march forward.

Now is the time for women's rights activists and groups to actively denounce this shame of the nation and to join hands in solidarity with the liberation struggles of safai karmacharis. We invite you to join us in this National Summit and share your experiences in making significant contribution to the women's cause in the country; in the process safai karamchari women will be enriched, paving the way for realizing the collective dream of liberating all women from 'gender discrimination and occupational violence'.

Together let us jolt the Indian Govt and civil society into shedding its deeply entrenched apathy and callousness!

In Solidarity,

Bezwada Wilson K.Anuradha Dr.YMoses



Safai Karamchari Andolan
36/13 Ground floor
East Patel Nagar
New Delhi 110 008
011-25863166




-- ............................................................................................................
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
..................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and fecilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.