Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice

Adhikaar creates access to information, builds community leadership and grows collective power to win Rights for our nepali-speaking communities, and dignity and equity for all. Through a mix of member-led training, organizing, advocacy and coalition work, we are transforming low-wage industries. We have succesfully advocated for the nys domestic worker bill of Rights; co-founded and led the ny healthy nail salon coalition and created the "nail salon workers bill of rightsx; and won (re)designation of temporary protected status for nepal. In fy 23, the following are accomplishments in 3 major program areas. 1)workers Rights: we provided 750+ nepali-speaking individuals with emergency relief funds (erf) focusing on those ineligible for federal stimulus and unemployment benefits. We adapted services and workforce development trainings to incorporate pandemic education. We trained 250+ members in domestic worker and nail salon workforce development training. We strengthened the digital literacy of over 600 members through participation in online programming. We strengthen the leadership of and supports for 24 of our members who are survivors of Human trafficking by implementing a new anti-trafficking curriculum and prioritizing well-being supports for of trafficking survivors through the pandemic. As a steering committee member of the nyc care campaign, we launched the domestic worker nyc care platform on key issues that support low-wage workers including proposed city benefits like retirement and universal child care. We successfully negotiated with the ny department of labor and governor's office the reopening guidelines for nail salons which ensured better worker protections during the pandemic. 2)immigrant Rights: we organized 140+ nepali tps-holders from seven states to build the campaign for permanent residency and take action on tps. We trained 31 of these members to share their stories as part of the campaign's educational efforts. Addtionally, we provided case management-related services to 1,600+ nepali-speaking immigrants accross the country. We also conducted and released our first-ever national survey report "nepali tps holders make significant contributions to america" in partnership with the center for american progress (cap) and the u.s.immigration policy center (usipc) at the university of California san diego. 3)access to health care: we supported over 1,500 people who speak nepali, hindi and tibetan in receiving health care from the state of new york and 500+ people with covid-19 related queries and vaccine access.