A recent report by Amnesty International sheds light on the entrenched caste and religion-based discrimination faced by sanitation workers in Pakistan. The report reveals a system designed to exploit marginalized communities, primarily Christians and Hindus from so-called “lower castes,” while denying them fundamental labor rights and human dignity. The study, titled “Cut Us Open and See That We Bleed Like Them,” documents the discriminatory practices, dangerous working conditions, and systemic neglect that these workers endure. The research, conducted in collaboration with the Pakistani rights group Center for Law & Justice, includes testimonies from over 230 sanitation workers across multiple cities. The report highlights the pervasive nature of discrimination, with many workers reporting being relegated to sanitation roles based solely on their religious or caste identity. Workers face derogatory slurs, segregation in public spaces, and women workers experience additional gender-based discrimination.
Exploitation is exacerbated by job insecurity, with a significant percentage of workers lacking permanent contracts. The report underscores the life-threatening conditions, with many workers developing health problems due to inadequate protective equipment. Many workers fear job loss if they refuse unsafe work. Amnesty International emphasizes that Pakistan’s laws fail to adequately protect sanitation workers from caste-based discrimination, violating international commitments. The report calls for urgent legislative reforms to outlaw discrimination, enforce labor protections, and end the discriminatory assignment of minorities to sanitation work. Until Pakistan addresses these systemic abuses, the sanitation workforce will remain trapped in a cycle of exploitation, fueled by state neglect, societal prejudice, and institutionalized injustice.