UN Principles and Guidelines: Special Measures

Equal employment opportunity and free choice of occupation

34. National and local governments should enact equality laws that prohibit public and private employer discrimination on the basis of caste or analogous systems, take steps to remove customary constraints on leaving traditional caste-based occupations, and promote gainful alternative employment opportunities and full access to markets for members of affected communities.

35. National and local governments should enact and enforce legislation guaranteeing decent work, a living wage and labour rights for affected communities. (9) National and local governments should ensure the complete eradication of manual scavenging (10) and other unhealthy working conditions, in accordance with international standards.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

36. The government should adopt measures to enhance affected communities’ access to the labour market by introducing or extending reservation policies to the public and private sectors, which should effectively counter the impact of market liberalization and globalization.

37. The State and other agencies should secure and support the full exercise of the right of affected communities to free choice of labour and other occupations traditionally withheld from them because of their caste or other kinds of social origin.

> Read the full text of the draft UN Principles and Guidelines