Speeches

“Affirmative Action and Diversity Measures in the Private Sector”, moderated by Nagaraja Prakasam

Conference Objective:

to address caste based discrimination in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The conference is solution focused and forward looking, with four key aims:

1. To understand on-going strategic initiatives, efforts and best practices emerging from Bangladesh, India and Nepal to address caste based discrimination, with a specific focus on Dalit women.
2. To assess the current initiatives on addressing the intersections of gender and caste in terms of meeting the needs and rights of Dalit women.
3. To examine best practices with respect to inclusion matters and the private sector.
4. To understand the emerging public policy climate on caste based discrimination, with specific focus on intersecting caste and gender discrimination.

The conference sessions will highlight equity and inclusion strategies and achievements in a number of key areas covering policies and legal frameworks, affirmative action and diversity measures, addressing multiple discrimination against Dalit women, equal economic opportunities and employment, promoting inclusion via education, media and ICT, and localising the SDGs agenda to leave no one behind. Sessions will be in the form of dialogues between expert panellists facilitated by experienced moderators, leading to the formulation of a working regional agenda for social inclusion.