Born into Bondage: Enforcing Human Rights of India’s Manual Scavengers

Throughout India, manual scavengers are responsible for collecting and disposing of human filth from dry latrines. Scavengers are subject to gross violations of human dignity, extreme health risks, and social discrimination that ensure a cycle of poverty extending for generations. Manual scavenging is not a form of employment; it is a form of bondage that oppresses Dalit women disproportionately. Despite enacting domestic statutes to prohibit manual scavenging, India’s constituent governments have directly undermined national efforts to combat this practice. This article identifies and analyzes India’s specific treaty obligations to not only eradicate this practice; it also identifies means of holding government officials accountable for perpetuating this human rights violation