logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
17m 19s

"I'm a fighter": The Dalit lawyer taking...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Manjula Pradeep was born in Western India to a Dalit family, a community considered to be on the lowest rung of the caste ladder. Growing up she experienced discrimination and indignity because of her background, but she excelled at school, and managed to defy expectations to become a lawyer and high-profile activist. Now she's helping Dalit rape survivors get access to justice. Manjula spoke to Divya Arya.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Harry Graham

Picture: Manjula Pradeep Credit: BBC/Divya Arya

Up next
Apr 2022
The astronaut who made a quilt in Space
Dr Karen Nyberg has many talents. She's an engineer and astronaut, but she's also an avid quilter, so when she joined the International Space Station in 2013, she took her sewing kit with her. She created a nine-inch, star-themed quilt square in orbit which inspired over two thou ... Show More
23m 54s
Apr 2022
The astronaut who made a quilt in Space
Dr Karen Nyberg has many talents. She's an engineer and astronaut, but she's also an avid quilter, so when she joined the International Space Station in 2013, she took her sewing kit with her. She created a nine-inch, star-themed quilt square in orbit which inspired over two thou ... Show More
23m 54s
Apr 2022
The drag queen who ran for president of the United States
In the 1990s Terence Smith launched his campaign to run for United States president in drag, shocking voters and the media. His mission was not to win, but instead, to raise awareness about the Aids crisis which was killing his community. Critical of the government's slow respons ... Show More
29m 8s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2025
The Resilience of Black Women in America—A Conversation with Areva Martin (Part 1)
Areva Martin is a Harvard-trained civil rights attorney, author, disability justice advocate, and founder of Special Needs Network. She’s on the front lines of today’s most pressing racial and social justice issues, leading the charge in California’s landmark Palm Springs reparat ... Show More
27m 2s
Aug 2025
The Resilience of Black Women in America—A Conversation with Areva Martin (Part 2)
Areva Martin is a Harvard-trained civil rights attorney, author, disability justice advocate, and founder of Special Needs Network. She’s on the front lines of today’s most pressing racial and social justice issues, leading the charge in California’s landmark Palm Springs reparat ... Show More
22m 58s
Jan 2023
The fearless former nun fighting for India's seamstresses
From convent to marriage to factory floor, Thivya Rakini will stand up for herself, and you. From an early age she's fought for what's right. As a child living in Tamil Nadu, she stopped eating so her parents would send her to the school of her choice. She left behind life in a c ... Show More
41m 53s
Sep 2023
An Unexpected Battle Over Banning Caste Discrimination
<p>California is poised to become the first state to outlaw discrimination based on a person’s caste. The system of social stratification, which dates back thousands of years, has been outlawed in India and Nepal for decades.</p><p>Amy Qin, a correspondent who covers Asian Americ ... Show More
24m 45s
Jun 2020
Dismantling Racism & Ableism with Lydia X. Z. Brown
<p>Lydia X. Z. Brown is an autistic attorney and disability justice advocate who specifically focuses on violence against multiply-marginalized disabled people. In this episode, join us as we:</p><p>- Dive deep into how white supremacy and white privilege play out for autistic ki ... Show More
31m 11s
Dec 2013
India: Resisting Rape
One year on from the horrific attack in Delhi, Joanna Jolly hears from three women who've chosen to report a rape in a country that is at last waking up to the problem. The authorities have introduced tougher laws since the young student was raped on a bus last December but is th ... Show More
28m 29s
Oct 2020
#MeToo: The lawyers
<p>Two lawyers who represent alleged victims of sexual assault and harassment join Kim Chakanetsa to discuss how #MeToo and other public movements have impacted their work.</p><p>Debra Katz is an American civil rights and employment lawyer, best known for representing alleged vic ... Show More
28m 5s