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{{Infobox person
| name = Asha Kowtal
| image =
| alt =
| nationality = Indian
| known_for = Activist for Dalit women's rights
}}

'''Asha Kowtal''' is an activist and expert in the field of [[Dalit]] [[women’s rights]]. She is currently the General Secretary of the [[Dalit Women’s Rights movement]] in [[India]], called the [[All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch]] (AIDMAM),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://idsn.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Profiles/Asha_Kowtal_Profile_2014.pdf|title=Asha Kowtal|website=Idsn.org|format=PDF|accessdate=2016-06-02}}</ref> which is part of the [[National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncdhr.org.in/team-members |title=Welcome to NCDHR Team member — ADRF Documents |website=Ncdhr.org.in |date= |accessdate=2016-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623173814/http://www.ncdhr.org.in/team-members |archive-date=23 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She is also a convenor and part of the steering committee of [[WinG-India]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wing-india.org/steering-committee/|title=Steering Committee | WING|date=|website=Wing-india.org|accessdate=2016-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805060535/http://www.wing-india.org/steering-committee/|archive-date=5 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> a network advancing leadership of women from the north-eastern part of India, and involving Dalit and tribal communities in governance at all levels with the aim of challenging exploitative structures and enabling a society with gender equality.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://allindiadalitmahilaadhikarmanch.blogspot.in/ |title=All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch -AIDMAM |website=Allindiadalitmahilaadhikarmanch.blogspot.in |date=2010-06-28 |accessdate=2016-06-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://esango.un.org/irene/survey_docs/SWADHIKARAnnualReport2013-2014.pdf|title=Social and Gender Justice: All India Dalit MahilaAdhikarManch (AIDMAM) : Annual REport 2013-14|website=Esango.un.org|format=PDF|accessdate=2016-06-02}}</ref>

==Professional qualifications==
Kowtal holds a [[master's]] degree in [[social work]] and has held various positions with donor agencies, working in the development sector with a focus on the rights of India’s marginalised women.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncdhr.org.in/ |title=National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights |website=Ncdhr.org.in |accessdate=2016-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202020856/http://www.ncdhr.org.in/ |archive-date=2 February 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dalitweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Schedule-for-Oct.-31-Reframing-Budgets-for-Dalit-Women-for-merge.pdf|title=National Conference: Reframing Budgets for Dalit Women in India|website=Dalitweb.org|format=PDF|accessdate=2016-06-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncdhr.org.in/others/Report-on-National-Tribuna-(Final).pdf|title=Report : National Tribunal Violence Against Dalit Women in India|website=Ncdhr.org.in\accessdate=2016-06-02|format=PDF|access-date=2 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930233215/http://www.ncdhr.org.in/others/Report-on-National-Tribuna-%28Final%29.pdf|archive-date=30 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Professional career==
Under Kowtal's leadership, AIDMAM has organised multiple activities, including a National Tribunal on Justice for Dalit Women, which came out with a report on violence against Dalit women after sittings held on 30 September and 1 October 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/a-conspiracy-of-silence-against-dalit-victims/article5190865.ece |title=‘A conspiracy of silence against Dalit victims’ |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=2013-10-02 |accessdate=2016-06-02}}</ref>

Kowtal and AIDMAM have also organised a national conference to discuss the specific needs of Dalit women, titled "Reframing Budgets for Dalit Women in India", training programs on International Human Rights Mechanisms and Dalit women self-respect marches across key Indian states, such as the Dalit Mahila Swabhiman Yatra.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncdhr.org.in/events-1/dalit-mahila-swabhiman-yatra|title=Dalit Mahila Swabhiman Yatra — ADRF Documents|date=|website=Ncdhr.org.in|accessdate=2016-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015042025/http://www.ncdhr.org.in/events-1/dalit-mahila-swabhiman-yatra|archive-date=15 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has also organised North American tour as Dalit Women Self Respect March, around 16 cities of north America in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dalitwomenfight.com/#home-section|title=Welcome|website=Endcasteapartheid|language=en-US|access-date=2017-09-08}}</ref>

Asha has been involved in creation of Dalit History Month. Its goal is to share the contributions to history from Dalits around the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/423929/Dalit-History-Month/|title=Dalit History Month|last=timeline|website=www.tiki-toki.com|access-date=2017-09-08}}</ref>

Kowtal was also a speaker at the [[UN Women]] and [[European Union]] 'National Conference on Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment' in [[New Delhi]]. She also spoke at the April 2014 [[Women in the World]] Summit in New York on the mass mobilisation of Dalit women through self-respect marches. She has been a regular speaker at various United Nations events.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kowtal, Asha}}
[[Category:Dalit activists]]
[[Category:Dalit women]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]

Asha Kowtal - Revision history

>WikiCleanerBot at 21:52, 16 October 2020