Caste based slavery
Caste-based slavery is a form of bondage based on work and descent, which is carried on for generations by members of the same occupational caste. In South Asia this form of slavery affects Dalits as a social group, and is closely linked to religious, cultural, and caste-based social relationships, as well as skewed land-ownership patterns. In some African countries similar forms of caste-based slavery exist e.g. in Mauritania, Niger, Mali and Chad. As reported by the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Ms. Gulnara Shahinian in 2008, these old forms of slavery are embedded in traditional beliefs and customs as a result of long-standing discrimination against the most vulnerable groups in societies such as: those regarded as being of low caste, tribal minorities and indigenous peoples (A/HRC/9/20).
A range of ILO studies on bonded labour relations reveal the link between the social hierarchies of caste and relationships of bondage, which leaves Dalits, tribal groups, women and children the main targets of exploitation. Bondage is usually passed on from one generation to another and Dalits are often deprived of other options. Other reports by Anti-Slavery International show how caste-based occupations include degrading practices such as manual scavenging and certain systems of forced prostitution, especially in India and Nepal. Dalits risk discrimination, abuse and economic and social ostracism if they refuse to subjugate. For Dalits, bonded labour is an entrapment with little chance of escape.
The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery referred to these links in a 2009 report to the Human Rights Council stating that “ILO research shows a clear link in Asian countries between forced labour and long-standing patterns of discrimination. In India, the overwhelming majority of bonded labour victims in agriculture, brick making, mining and other sectors are from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes” (A/HRC/12/21).
The ILO defines forced labour as work or service undertaken involuntarily and under threat or penalty. Bonded labour is usually a result of economic necessity and other external constraints such as poverty, social exclusion and denial of human rights. Bonded labour is reinforced by various customs and coercion and can also be enforced onto other family members, for instance children and marital family members. Often, labourers are not aware of the value of their work and the status of their debt, which is one of the reasons that lead to life-long bondage. Under such circumstances the bondage can be characterized as forced labour.
