DRN Policy Paper | Nature and Trends of Caste-based Discrimination in the Digital Space

DRN Policy Paper | Nature and Trends of Caste-based Discrimination in the Digital Space

Digital spaces in Nepal are not neutral. This paper shows how offline caste hierarchies are increasingly reproduced and intensified online through hate speech, harassment, exclusionary practices, and fake accounts. Dalits, particularly Dalit women, face persistent dehumanization, silencing, and intersectional abuse that undermines their participation and agency in digital spaces.

The paper calls for the recognition of caste-hate speech within international human rights and hate-speech frameworks and urges caste-based legal protections and inclusive digital governance to ensure dignity, empowerment, and equitable participation online.

Read the paper here: https://digitalrightsnepal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CAste-based.pdf and join the conversation on how should platforms, regulators, and civil society respond to caste-based harms in digital spaces.

✍️ Authored by Rup Sunar, published by Digital Rights Nepal (DRN), and supported by Norway & International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL).

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