Jaati ki Bhoomika aur Swachhata tak Pahunch par Iske Prabhav
This training module, part of the Leadership Training for Inclusive Sanitation series, examines how caste continues to shape sanitation work and access in India. It highlights how Dalit and marginalised communities remain disproportionately engaged in sanitation labour, including manual scavenging, despite legal bans and government reforms. The module promotes dialogue on dignity, equality, and systemic change through mechanisation, education, and inclusive policy implementation.
What you’ll learn from this training module
- Understanding how caste-based occupational segregation perpetuates exclusion, with most sanitation workers belonging to Dalit and marginalised caste groups
- Recognition of the triple discrimination faced by women sanitation workers through the intersections of caste, gender, and poverty
- Review of existing laws such as the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act (2013), and their gaps in enforcement and accountability
- Analysis of how government schemes, including the Swachh Bharat Mission, prioritise infrastructure but overlook worker safety, dignity, and fair wages
- Discussion on pathways for reform through mechanisation, stable employment, fair pay, education, and awareness to dismantle caste-based sanitation labour
