Rita Izsāk-Ndiaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, said [press release] Monday that at least 250 million people worldwide face “appalling and dehumanizing” discrimination based on caste and similar systems of “inherited” status. Presenting a report [materials] to the UN Human Rights Council, Izsāk-Ndiaye stated that the stigma from caste follows individuals throughout all aspects of life including access to justice, education, housing, political participation, and work. She said that girls and women are subject to bonded labor, forced marriage, harmful cultural practices, and sexual violence due to caste systems that lack and create a culture of impunity. The expert asserted [UN News Centre report] that communities frequently retaliate against individuals who attempted to challenge limitations or unlawful consequences from caste systems. Izsāk-Ndiaye did state that there have been “some positive developments” such as constitutional guarantees, legislation and dedicated institutions to overcome caste-based discrimination.

Along with caste-affected individuals, civilians and children in worldwide conflicts are also at-risk groups. In February Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict released [JURIST report] her annual report on the situation of children in conflict zones from December 2014 to 2015. Also in February Human Rights Watch said [JURIST report] that hostiles in eastern Ukraine had damaged or destroyed hundreds of school, many of which were being used for military purposes. In addition, UN human rights experts in Nigeria urged [JURIST report] the government to guarantee the safety of areas liberated from Boko Haram. A recent raid resulted in more than 90 individuals, primarily women and children. Also, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, expressed [JURIST report] “utmost alarm” at the worsening situation in Syria and said that parties were “constantly sinking to new depths” attacking women, children, the sick and the elderly. In Flint, Michigan, children were poisoned [JURIST commentary] by drinking lead-laden tap water causing brain damage. In August, the UN reported [JURIST report] that the number of women and children being hurt or killed in Afghanistan’s war against the Taliban have risen by 23 and 13 percent, respectively.