(Asian independent)
Public Hearing on
Labour Without Security, Lives Without Dignity: Confronting Structural Exploitation and Reclaiming Entitlements
Date: Sunday, 3 May 2026
Time: 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Venue: 2nd floor Deputy Chairman Hall, Constitution Club of India, New Delhi
Dear friends,
Jai Bhim!
Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) warmly invites you to a public hearing on the conditions of Dalit women sanitation workers, to be held on 3rd May 2026 (Sunday), from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, at the Deputy Chairman Hall, Constitution Club of India, New Delhi.
This public hearing is rooted in the ongoing initiative, “Sunday Campaign with Women Workers”, through which DASAM and its women’s wing, Mahila Kaamkaji Manch (MKM), have been continuously engaging with Dalit women sanitation workers across multiple slum clusters in Delhi. Over months of sustained conversations, these women have shared their lived realities, shaped by insecure and hazardous work conditions, low and irregular wages, lack of social and health protection, and persistent experiences of caste- and gender-based discrimination and systemic exploitation, reflecting a pattern of invisibilized labour and institutional neglect.
In response, this public hearing aims to create a space where these workers can present their testimonies before a distinguished jury comprising legal experts, academics, researchers, journalists, policymakers, members of the administration, and representatives from civil society. The aim is to transform lived experiences into documented evidence, deepen public understanding, and push for structural reforms, stronger labour protections, and the effective implementation of existing laws.
The hearing would have an eminent jury members, including:
· Vrinda Grover – Advocate, Supreme Court of India
· Colin Gonsalves – Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
· Manjula Pradeep – National Convenor, National Council of Women Leaders (NCWL)
· Indu Prakash – Human Rights Defender
· Purnima Gupta – Gender Rights Activist & Feminist Educator
· Sridevi Pannikkar – Advocate
· Dr Sophy K. J. – Associate Prof. of Law, National Law University, Delhi; Director, Centre for Labour Law Research & Advocacy (CLLRA)
This is not just an event; it is an effort to centre the voices of those who are too often unheard and to collectively imagine pathways toward dignity, accountability, justice, equity, equality and better and secure working conditions.
We invite you to join us in listening, engaging, and standing in solidarity with Dalit women sanitation workers. Your presence will add strength to this collective call for accountability and change.
For further information, please contact 8491052270 or 9971883831.
