Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today. My name is Laxme Das. Today I will be speaking to you about the situation of Dalit women and girls in Bangladesh. Caste discrimination affects more than 260 million people worldwide, mostly living in South Asia. It involves huge violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Caste systems divide people into unequal social groups. Those at the bottom are considered ‘impure’. This community calls themselves Dalits. Bangladesh has a population of 170 million people, and it is one of the least developed countries in the world. The Department of Social Welfare shows there are around 6.8 million Dalits living in Bangladesh, however, according to Dalit NGOs, this number is likely much higher. Dalit communities have the lowest position. Caught between the caste and patriarchy, Dalit women face multiple forms of discrimination and violence due to caste, and gender. These forms of discrimination make them particularly vulnerable. Dalit communities themselves often place severe restrictions on women’s rights, mobility and freedom, particularly in relation to marriage. Caste-based discrimination includes practices of untouchability, which comes from the idea that different caste groups have different standards of purity and pollution. These untouchability practices are imposed by the dominant castes of both the Hindu and Muslims communities and can include refusal of entry to public spaces. At tea shops, Dalits are forced to bring a cup along with them because the cup they use is considered polluted. If Dalits challenge these practices, they often face violence. Historically, Dalits have been excluded from education so most Dalit women are illiterate and have no formal education. In school, Dalit children cannot sit together with other children, are forced to clean the toilets, and face abuse from both students and teachers. A 2019 survey shows that very few Dalit girls go to school. Of the girls that finish primary education, 95.8% of girls do not complete secondary level and very few achieve higher education. So, Dalit women are trapped in their caste professions, 1