Pakistan, July 30 -- Sanitation workers are the people who clean our streets, handle waste and keep our cities healthy. But in our part of the world, many of them are treated with shame and hate.

Most of these workers belong to religious minorities, especially Christians and Hindus, and are from so-called "lower castes". They are not given respect, even though their work is very important.

A new report by Amnesty International shows how these workers face discrimination because of their religion and caste. Many workers said they are called bad names like "chuhra" or "bhangi", and are treated as if they are less human. Some are even denied the right to eat or drink with others. One woman in Lahore asked, "They can cut us open and see we ...