Dear Friend,

Adhikaar is the country’s only worker and community center dedicated to serving and mobilizing the Nepali-speaking community. Advancing the rights of low-wage immigrant workers, particularly nail salon workers, is at the heart of this work.

For decades our nail salon members have shared labor rights violations at their workplace, conditions which have gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. With no proper ventilation and personal protective equipment (PPE), nail salon workers are risking their lives to barely earn a minimum wage.

To address these challenges, we offer culturally competent rights-based trainings on wage, health and safety etc. to our members in Nepali. With these trainings, our members have gained the skills and knowledge to engage in negotiations with the City and State on nail salon openings during the pandemic and other campaigns that advocate for workers' rights.

On January 26, 2022, NY State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assemblymember Harry Bronson and our partners at the NY Healthy Nail Salon Coalition, Adhikaar introduced the Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act, and launched the “All Hands In” campaign to continue our fight to raise nail salon industry standards for all. Read here for more information.

This is a snapshot of our cutting-edge work to transform the nail industry. Check out our newsletter to learn more about our other programs in Healthcare and Youth Organizing.

Thank you for being with us on this journey of human rights and social justice for all. Your donation helps Adhikaar meet the challenges of today and work to build a system that works for all of us.

In solidarity,  

Pabitra Khati Benjamin,

Executive Director, Adhikaar